A children s author was shot and then beaten to death by a neighbour with mental health issues, after he became convinced the victim was a spy working for Russian president Vladimir Putin to spread Covid-19, an inquest has heard.
James Nash, 42, was shot in the front garden of his home in the hamlet of Upper Enham, near Andover in Hampshire at 3pm on August 5, 2020.
His neighbour Alex Sartain, 34, used a home-made double-barrelled shotgun and then repeatedly stamped on the parish councillor s head, causing him fatal head injuries, the Winchester inquest was told.
Mr Sartain himself died later that day when he crashed his motorcycle while being pursued by police. An inquest into his death will be held on Wednesday.
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image captionJames Nash was described as a kind-hearted individual and a proactive parish councillor
A man with a long history of mental illness shot a children s author after becoming wrongly convinced he was a Russian spy, an inquest has heard.
James Nash, 42, was attacked in his garden by his next-door neighbour in Upper Enham, Hampshire, on 5 August and died three days later.
The gunman, Alex Sartain, died in a motorbike crash while being pursued by police on the same day.
The coroner recorded a conclusion that Mr Nash was unlawfully killed.
Mr Nash wrote and illustrated children s books, including The Winter Wild.