Petty Officer Jon Errington Paxton, 38, died by suicide on board the Royal Navy minehunter HMS Cattistock in April 2023, an inquest at Portsmouth Coroner's Court has heard. Paxton took the keys to a weapons storage locker from a sleeping colleague before shooting himself on the ship, which was docked in Portsmouth.
The inquest revealed that Paxton was undergoing a divorce from his wife and mother of his children, Verity Wyng, and was struggling with the marital breakdown. He had also been accused of sexual assault following an incident at a bar, leading to his arrest and charge in December 2022 while on medical discharge in Scotland. Paxton, who joined the Royal Navy in 2003 and was a father of three, had debts totaling up to £25,000.
His partner at the time, Clare Anderson, stated that Paxton had expressed being in pain and that "everybody would be better off without him." He had also been suffering from depression and anxiety, and was deemed medically unfit for several months, remaining shoreside and non-operational.
Paxton had pleaded not guilty to the sexual assault charges, and a trial had not yet taken place. His brother, Ross, testified that Paxton found the prospect of another man living with his children difficult to bear. The area coroner, Jason Pegg, concluded that Paxton had taken his own life, noting that while debts were a factor, they were potentially surmountable given his secure job.
The inquest also addressed the security of the weapons and ammunition. The coroner confirmed that weapons were stored in a secure locker and ammunition was kept separately, as required. Addressing Paxton's family, Mr. Pegg stated that evidence indicated Paxton was a good father and son who was proud of his service in the Royal Navy.
Paxton's death occurred 12 years after another sailor, engineering technician Samuel 'Ricky' Hatton, died by suicide on the same warship. Hatton was 20 years old at the time of his death in Portsmouth Naval Base.