Farmer strangled churchwarden father, 82, because he feared he was going to give away the farm to someone else, inquest hears

A farmer strangled his churchwarden father to death and buried him on the family’s land after fearing he was going to give away the farm to someone else, an inquest heard today.Charles Wright, 52, had a ‘blazing row’ with his father Brian, 82, over the future of Hall Farm, near Newark, Nottinghamshire, before seeing a ‘flash of red’ and throttling him.In a mobile phone voice note, he said his father – a churchwarden at St Bartholomew's Church in Langford and who also served on Winthorpe with Langford Parish Council – was ‘thinking of replacing him’ and ‘giving the lion’s share of the farm to another family member’.In the recording, he said: ‘I just had a flash of red and after 25 years and everything I have given him, he was just cutting me out like that.‘I just saw red, dragged him out of the car and throttled him.’Wright then said he intended to take his own life.The recording was sent to police on November 22 last year, two days after his father had been reported missing.The same day, Wright had driven at his brother James Wright, who was running with a friend, ‘causing injury’, and his body was found in an outbuilding at the farm later that day. Churchwarden Brian Wright, 82, was strangled by his son after 'blazing row', inquest heard An inquest into the double-tragedy at Nottingham Coroner’s Court concluded this afternoon when Senior Coroner Mairin Casey found Brian Wright was unlawfully killed while his son died by suicide.She told the family members who attended in person and by video-link: ‘The horror of this, I’m clear in my mind, will have affected all of those who have survived in a very deep and painful way.’The inquest heard Brian Wright had called Wright ‘useless’, ‘not capable of farming’ and that it was a ‘mistake to let him farm that land’ in an ‘enormous blazing row’ between father and son.Describing the voice note, Detective Chief Inspector Ruby Burrow, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: ‘Charles stated that he had killed his father and intended to kill himself.‘He described that his father Brian had criticised him and there had been a disagreement about finances.‘He stated he had buried his father Brian on the family farm.’The inquest heard Brian Wright had been reported as missing to the police shortly before midnight on November 20 after he failed to take his wife to a hospital appointment.The following day, Wright, his brother James and a colleague who worked on the family farm as a mechanic spoke to police. Charles Wright, 52, feared he was being 'cut out' of future of family farm in NottinghamshireDCI Burrow told the inquest that Wright, who was interviewed the day before he took his own life, ‘was able to assist by describing difficult family dynamics and difficulties in relationships over the years, including issues around finances and also working arrangements on the farm’.‘He described an argument he had had with his father. He described his father had been critical towards him and he, himself, had taken some time to calm down,’ she said.Wright told police his father had ‘left in the opposite direction’ after what he described as a ‘small argument’, the court heard.Later on November 21, Brian Wright’s vehicle was reported as being seen ‘out of place' where it had been left overnight, and his body was found buried on the farm in a shallow grave four days later.His cause of death was found to be pressure applied to the neck, the inquest heard.DCI Burrow also said there had been a report on November 22 of ‘a collision between a vehicle and two gentlemen’, where the vehicle was driven at them ‘apparently deliberately’.She said Charles Wright had driven at his brother James Wright, who was running with his friend, ‘causing injury’.Charles Wright took his own life later that day and his body was found in an outbuilding area on Hall Farm, with his father found three days later.The court heard there had been prior tensions at the farm which resulted in a firearms licence being withdrawn from an unnamed family member for a period of time because of concerns firearms 'could be used inappropriately because of tensions within the family'. DCI Burrow said: 'The evidence shows that Charles Wright murdered his father, and that there was no third-party involvement in the death.'The evidence showed [Charles] took his own life, and that there was no third-party involvement in that either.'Ms Casey described it as 'a truly tragic case', and offered her condolences to the family.'Whatever tensions there may have been leading to this tragedy, we have here the loss of two men, who were fathers to surviving children, and a grandfather,' she added.For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or thecalmzone.net