Ludgershall civil servant in fraud probe took own life

12:00pm Thursday 9th September 2010

By Nigel Kerton

Civil servant Andrew Taylor, who was being investigated for an alleged expenses fraud, was found hanging in woods at Upavon in March, an inquest heard on Monday.

Wiltshire’s deputy coroner Peter Hatvany decided that Mr Taylor, who worked in a classified section of the Ministry of Defence, took his own life.

In a note to his son David Mr Taylor, 55, said: “I am in an untenable situation. I cannot cope.”

In a farewell letter to his wife he wrote: “To my darling Lesley, I am so sorry to leave you in this way. I never meant to cause you any harm and love you with all my heart,” ending his note: “Goodbye my angel, God bless you.”

The inquest in Salisbury was attended by his wife and son and heard that Mr Taylor, who lived at Rawlings Court, in Ludgershall, had been suspended on full pay from his job because of an inquiry into his expenses claims.

Mrs Taylor told the inquest that shortly before her husband’s death she discovered he had taken out a £40,000 charge against their home, which she was unaware of until she received a letter from Alliance and Leicester about missed payments.

“Initially I assumed it was a mistake and I contacted Alliance and Leicester immediately and told them they had the wrong person. I honestly thought it was a mistake.”

She said the bank sent her papers showing that her husband must have forged her signature on the application.

Mrs Taylor told the coroner she had no idea where her husband had put or used the money because it had not been paid into their joint account.

“There is some evidence it may have gone towards paying off other debts,” she said.

Mrs Taylor said she phoned her husband to ask him about the A&L letter and also to find out where he was. “I said he ought to come home because I needed to speak with him.

“I asked him if he knew anything about a loan for £40,000 from the Alliance and Leicester and his reply was ‘No, and it doesn’t matter anyway’.”

She said her husband called her back and said to her: “Say goodbye to the family,” and Mrs Taylor said: “His voice sounded flat and emotionless.”

She called the police to say she was concerned for her husband’s welfare and later they told her his body had been found.

Simultaneously, said Mrs Taylor, she discovered from the MoD that her husband had been suspended on full pay while his expenses claims were being investigated. The investigation ended with his death she said providing no opportunity for his name to be cleared.

Naval Commander Lee Timbrell-Jones estimated the sum under investigation, which related to travel claims, amounted to up to £6,000.

Mrs Taylor agreed with the coroner who said: “You would welcome this investigation to be continued so that Mr Taylor’s name can be exonerated.”