Hero who was shot in Hampshire bank robbery took his own life after 'downward spiral'

Father-of-four Tom Jones, 54, was found in the car park at the Royal British Legion in Grayshott on February 20.

He had been living in Woking, Surrey.

His estranged wife, Abbey, told the inquest in Winchester that her husband had gone into a ‘downward spiral’ following the bank robbery in 2016, during which he suffered a pellet lodged in his brain which could have left him paralysed.

She said that Mr Jones, a window cleaner, began to drink more heavily and became depressed, which was worsened by the deaths of three of his brothers during a short period of time.

Ms Jones, who separated from her husband on New Year’s Day, said: ‘We were in a bank robbery. We think he had PTSD, he got shot.

‘Tom was on a downward spiral and he was bringing me down with it,’ she told the inquest.

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‘We have had our ups and downs during our marriage. Tom could be difficult to live with but the good times were very good.

‘He lost three of his brothers, he was close to his brothers and this affected him deeply, his drinking got out of hand.’

She added: ‘I still loved him.’

Coroner Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp said the bank robbery would have contributed to Mr Jones’ depression and added: ‘I am sure incidents like that can affect people badly, when people have a significant traumatic event, other things that happen to them like losing their brothers, splitting up, it all seems worse.’

Recording a verdict of suicide, she said: ‘He couldn’t deal with the demons that were making his behaviour so destructive.’

Mr Jones had told the BBC how he thought he would die during the bank robbery at the Lloyds Bank in Liphook in May 2016.

He described how he had tackled the robber after a gun was held to his wife’s head.

‘I had him on the floor and nearly got the gun off him but his friend stabbed me and he shot me in the face,’ he said at the time.

‘I dragged him out of the bank then he came back in and shot me again through my hair-line.

‘It was adrenaline, complete instinct. I thought my life was going to end in the bank.’

Both Mr Jones and his wife were praised for their bravery by police.

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