Father Killed Man He Blamed For Son's Death

A father who was "consumed by grief" killed the man he blamed for causing his son's death by a drug overdose and then took his own life, an inquest has heard.

Roy Allison, 65, fatally stabbed Duncan Bell, 34, three months after the sudden death of Mr Allison's son Roy Junior in March 2011.

Roy Jnr had been celebrating his 28th birthday with his friends Mr Bell and Grant Maker at the home he shared with his father in the Orton Goldhay area of Peterborough.

The trio consumed drugs including ecstasy and cocaine as well as alcohol during the evening, three separate inquests at Peterborough Coroner's Court have heard.

On the following day, March 21, Roy Jnr was found dead in his bedroom.

A post-mortem examination found he had died from an ecstasy overdose. Mr Bell and Mr Maker suffered no ill effects.

In the months after his son's death, Mr Allison became so convinced that Mr Bell was responsible, because the ecstasy had come from him, that he decided to kill him, the court heard.

Mr Bell was found dead in July at Mr Allison's home.

He had been knocked unconscious and stabbed six times - the blow that killed him had pierced his heart, the inquests heard.

"This drug dealer took my son, took our whole lives, I've just took his," said a large cardboard note next to Mr Bell's body.

Hours later, the body of Mr Allison was found hanging in the grounds of Peterborough Crematorium.

Mr Maker told the inquest that the evening was under way when the group decided to have more drugs, and Mr Bell went home to get the ecstasy.

Mr Maker said the three men had all consumed the same amount of drugs and alcohol and he had not noticed anything wrong with Roy Jnr before they left him in the early hours of the morning.

Recording a verdict of unlawful killing in respect of Mr Bell, the coroner said: "We all know that it's a terrible tragedy.

"We know that Roy Snr had become consumed by grief, but the reality is that he had formed an intention and carried out a violent, brutal and vicious attack."

The court heard how Mr Allison had mentioned suicide to family members so many times in the months after his son's death that it had become almost a joke.

He had bought a double plot so he could be buried with his son and had both their names inscribed on a headstone.

Mr Bell's mother, Diane, said her son was not a drug dealer, but had in the past struggled with a drug problem.

She said she had forgiven Mr Allison, saying: "He's a man that had lost his son, his world had disappeared.

"He wanted some kind of justice, he wanted a life for a life, it's just a shame that it was my boy."