Man shot himself in head with shotgun at Derbyshire beauty spot

Ashley Brown, 31, apparently killed himself with a shotgun inside his parked car at Padley Gorge near Grindleford on Friday, April 3.

Speaking at the opening of his inquest at Chesterfield coroners’ court on Monday afternoon, PC David Naylor, of Derbyshire police, said: “A member of the public reported a potential suicide within a parked car at Padley Gorge.

“I was one of the first officers at the scene. Paramedics were already present and they had pronounced him deceased.”

PC Naylor confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr Brown’s death.

Derbyshire police closed the main road between Grindleford railway station and Grindleford village itself at about 1.45pm after the discovery was made.

The road reopened a short time later.

Mr Brown, of Lynwood Close, Dronfield Woodhouse, was a self-employed health and safety consultant.

Dr Robert Hunter, Derbyshire’s senior coroner, said a post-mortem examination revealed single Mr Brown died because of a shotgun injury to his head.

Mr Brown’s full inquest was adjourned to a later date by Dr Hunter.

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