THE owner of Molly’s Den emporium took his own life as the business struggled to survive and the family home was at risk.

John East-Rigby, 65, shot himself in the head at his country home at Mockbeggar on the edge of the New Forest.

By killing himself he believed he would ensure his widow Cherry would not lose out financially because of his life insurance and equity in their £2 million home, an inquest heard.

They had taken over Molly’s Den in 2017 which then had branches in Winchester, Christchurch, Bournemouth, New Milton and Salisbury. Three remained at his death, in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Winchester.

The stores were a base for traders selling a variety of things including retro furniture, vintage clothing, records, antiques, jewellery, gifts and collectables. But the emporia were not as profitable as the East-Rigbys had hoped and for much of the time were losing money.

Mr East-Rigby had placed hopes in a rate rebate but shortly before he died on May 8 he heard the appeal which would have returned £60-80,000 had failed. At the time of death his liabilities, much of it secured on his home, had reached £1.5 million.

On the day of his death he made his wife a cup of tea and took her hand and, she told the inquest yesterday, said: “Don’t worry, everything is going to be alright. I said ‘what do you mean?’ He said ‘it’s OK’. He turned and walked away and that was the last I saw of him.”

Soon afterwards she found a note that told her to call the police. They were called and found him in a horse box parked in the paddock. He had a severe wound to his head and a shotgun by his side.

In a statement, Dr Simon Low, GP at Cornerways Medical Centre in Poulner, said Mr East-Rigby was an infrequent patient with no serious mental health issues.

One of Mr East-Rigby’s accountants, Laurence Berko, in a statement, said after buying Molly’s Den the business struggled with cash flow difficulties. After his death Mrs East-Rigby took it over but it collapsed in July.

Acting area coroner Sam Marsh said the notes were of “despair” and returned a verdict of suicide.

In a statement after the inquest in Winchester, Mrs East-Rigby said: “Johnny was my husband, my business partner and my best friend. His loss is unbearable and it has turned my world upside down.”

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