‘Lotto lout’ Michael Carroll’s uncle ‘blasted wife in the head with a shotgun then killed himself with the same gun’
The uncle of Michael Carroll, who won £9.7m on the National Lottery, killed his wife and himself hours after visiting his GP for depression.
LOTTERY winner Michael Caroll's uncle shot his wife in the head and then turned the gun on himself, hours after telling his GP that his marriage was breaking down, a court has heard today.
Stephen Muncaster, 47, killed his wife Allison, 48, as she sat on the sofa at their home in July 2016 near King's Lynn, Norfolk, an inquest heard.
Muncaster visited his GP for depression, which he had also suffered from during the breakdown of his first marriage, the day before the shooting two years ago.
GP Chris Holmes said in a written statement: "He came to see me on 11 July 2016 complaining he was feeling depressed that his marriage was breaking down.
"His wife had told him she was leaving him and he suspected she was seeing someone else."
Mr Holmes said that he questioned Muncaster directly about whether he had thoughts about self-harm, and he was "adamant he would not harm himself, citing his five lovely grandchildren as a protective factor".
He added: "I was quite confident at the time that Mr Muncaster had no plans to harm himself or others."
An earlier hearing concluded Mrs Muncaster was unlawfully killed, and senior coroner Jacqueline Lake said that Muncaster's death was suicide.
Mr Muncaster was the uncle of so-called "Lotto lout" Michael Carroll, who hit the headlines in 2002 when he won £9.7 million on the National Lottery.
The former binman, and subject of the documentary subject of the documentary 'Michael Carroll: King of Chavs', blew his winnings before taking a job at a biscuit factory.
DC Jeremy Pitt said CCTV footage within the property showed Mr Muncaster looking "very upset with his head in his hands" and Mrs Muncaster was also seen "clearly upset" before the shooting.
He said Mr Muncaster collected the shotgun, which was concealed under the bed earlier that evening, and aimed at his wife in the early hours of 12 July 2018 from a doorway into the lounge.
DC Pitt said Mr Muncaster sent a final text sent to his son at 11.43pm on July 11, which was not received.
It read: "Look after yourself and my grandchildren and your sisters and my mum. Love you always, dad."
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A post-mortem examination concluded Mr Muncaster died of a single shotgun wound to the head, he was not intoxicated at the time.
Family members, including Mr Muncaster's son and two daughters, attended the hearing.
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