Suicide policeman faced sex charges, inquest is told

10:31am Wednesday 19th November 2008

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Former police officer John Harris killed himself after throwing himself in front of a train the day after he discovered he would face prosecution for a sexual offence against a young girl, an inquest heard.

Mr Harris, 59, of Webbington Road, Chippenham, who worked as an inquiry officer at Wiltshire Police’s divisional headquarters in Semington, near Melksham, stood in front of an Intercity 125 high speed train on the Box mainline on April 14 after allegations arose that he had ‘inappropriately touched’ a child, as well as having more than 20 indecent images of children on his computer.

A jury inquest at Trowbridge Town Hall returned a verdict of suicide after hearing on Tuesday heard how the former police sergeant, grandfather and devoted husband to Marilyn of more than 40 years, had denied the allegations and vowed he would never go to prison.

Reiterating his concerns, Lorna Gough, who was his psychiatrist for the crisis and home treatment team at Green Lane Hospital in Devizes in the few months leading up to his death, spoke at the inquest.

“He said to me ‘I will not go to prison. I have been a police officer; I will not go to prison’, those were his words to me,” she said.

Mr Harris was arrested at work in October 2007 and it was after he was interviewed for the second time about the offences on November 12 that he confided in his former colleague and friend Sgt Nick Blencowe that he had suicidal thoughts.

Speaking at the inquest, Sgt Blencowe said: “He said to me during a visit to the office (to pick up his belongings) that following the interview that week he had found himself near the railway line that day.

“I wasn’t sure what he had meant at that point; he said that he felt it wasn’t worth going on.”

The father-of-two was referred by his GP Dr Melanie Blackman to Mrs Gough at Green Lane Hospital, who explained how Mr Harris had told her that he had thought up four ways for killing himself, including jumping off a motorway bridge and driving onto a level crossing.

Described by Sgt Blencowe as an ‘extremely committed and loyal man’, Mr Harris was growing desperately frustrated during the months leading up to his death, at the lack of communication from the police and Criminal Justice System over whether he would face prosecution.

Mr Harris had many tragedies in his life, in particular the suicide of his father, who died in February 1971 in Cyprus, when Mr Harris was just 23.