A LLANDELOY farmer, suffering from the incurable motor neurone disease, killed himself with a single shotgun shot, an inquest heard on Thursday, May 24.

The body of Andrew Claude Joules, 53, was found on March 4 by his wife at their family farm at Castell y Gwcw, Llandeloy.

At the May 24 inquest, held at Milford Haven Town Hall, Coroner’s officer for Dyfed-Powys Police Jeremy Davies said Staffordshire-born Mr Joules had moved to the farm at Llandeloy in 1996 with his wife Catherine and children, farming in partnership with his father.

The inquest heard Mr Joules became unwell in 2017, having trouble swallowing, and “just wasn’t himself”.

In September 2017, Mr Joules was diagnosed as suffering from motor neurone disease, a progressive condition involving degeneration of the motor neurons and wasting of the muscles, which was affecting his throat.

The inquest heard Mr Joules took the diagnosis badly; he was having difficulty eating and believed his condition was worsening.

He had left instruction that, during any operations, he did not want to be assisted in recovery.

On March 4, Mr Joules was at home with his wife and son, leaving to move some cattle.

At 9.30am Mrs Joules, who had earlier left the farm, returned, finding Mr Joules laid down on the grass, with a shotgun laying under his body.

Police attended and Mr Joules was formally declared to have passed away.

The inquest heard a note was left by Mr Joules.

A post mortem report by Dr Daniel Howser stated Mr Joules died from a single shotgun wound to his head.

Coroner Mark Layton, recording a conclusion of suicide, said: “Mr Andrew Claude Joules, from suffering from a terminal condition; he could not carry on living with the disease and took steps to end his life.”