Man took own life on day he was due in court on historic sex abuse offences

A Weston Hills man hanged himself on the day he was due to attend court charged with 67 historic sex abuses, an inquest into his death heard.

Stephen Wheddon (71), of Broadgate, was found dead at his home on February 8.

He was due to appear at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on a host of charges reported in the county, including 49 counts of indecent assault, four allegations of a rape of a teen, four counts of gross indecency, two counts of rape of a girl under 13, four allegations of neglect and charges of assaulting a child under 13 by penetration and engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl.

A letter was left for Mr Wheddon’s partner Jacquelyn Smith who, in a statement to the inquest, said Mr Wheddon said the accusations were “all lies” although she did not know he was due in court that day.

The letter said: “I’m so sorry we are to end like this but I can’t help it as they’re going to charge me with all the lies they’ve accused me of and I can’t put you through it.

“I love you so much.”

She said she’d spoken to Mr Wheddon on the phone in the early hours of the morning on the day he died.

“He kept saying if anything happens you know how much I love you,” the statement said. “I told him to stop worrying and that it wouldn’t get that far.”

The night before his death Mr Wheddon had dinner with his friend of 20 years, Phil Watson, during which he asked if his friend would look after Jacqueline “if anything happened to him”.

Mr Watson told the inquest he thought it was “strange” that Mr Wheddon, who he described as “part of the family”, had left without his usual handshake.

Shortly before 9am the next morning Mr Watson received a call from Miss Smith worried that Mr Wheddon was not answering his phone. He went round to the house and after receiving no reply, knew where a key was hidden.

Mr Watson did not see a sign on a door signed by Mr Wheddon which said: “Phil, don’t come in. Call the police. Sorry mate.”

After finding Mr Wheddon he spent over 15 minutes trying to give CPR as both an air ambulance and land ambulance headed to the scene.

The inquest heard there were no signs of alcohol or drugs in Mr Wheddon’s body, including no signs of the antidepressants that he’d been prescribed by GPs in Moulton since January 2021.

That was contrary to what he’d told Mr Watson the previous night.

Delivering a verdict of suicide, Paul Smith said. “It seems likely that medication had not been taken, certainly in the days prior to the incident.”

He continued that the “lengthy” proceedings of the offences going to court “took a toll on Mr Wheddon’s mental health”.

“Mr Wheddon’s actions didn’t provide any evidence towards his guilt or his innocence,” he continued.

“The police tell me there was no third party involvement in his death and I can’t think of any circumstances as to how he could otherwise be found how he was. I am satisfied that he intended to end his life.”

In the statement Miss Smith said she was shattered by Mr Wheddon’s death.

“He was always on the go and loved motorbikes, cars and wildlife,” she said. “He loved travelling across the country and enjoyed motorbike shows.”