Petty officer took his own life on Royal Navy warship following breakdown of his marriage and sexual assault allegations, inquest hears

A Royal Navy sailor took his own life with an assault rifle after the breakdown of his marriage and sexual assault allegations became too 'painful' for him, an inquest heard. Petty Officer Jon Errington Paxton, 38, took the keys for a weapons storage locker from the belt of a sleeping colleague before shooting himself dead on board the minehunter HMS Cattistock while it was docked in Portsmouth, Hampshire in April 2023. An inquest heard he was in the process of divorcing his wife and mother of his children Verity Wyng and was struggling with the 'marital breakdown'.He had also been accused of sexual assault following an incident at a bar and in December 2022 had been arrested and charged while at home in Scotland on medical discharge.The father-of-three, who joined the Royal Navy in 2003, also had debts of up to £25,000 and told his partner at the time that 'everybody would be better off without him'.He was also suffering from depression and anxiety, the inquest at Portsmouth Coroner's Court heard on Monday. His death came 12 years after engineering technician Samuel 'Ricky' Hatton, 20, shot himself on the same warship at Portsmouth Naval Base. Jon Errington Paxton, 38, from Arbroath in Scotland, on board the minehunter HMS Cattistock while it was docked in Portsmouth, Hants in April 2023. PO Paxton was in the process of divorcing his wife and mother of his children and had also been accused of sexual assault following an incident at a bar, the inquest on Monday heardPO Paxton was found by fellow Navy personnel with a fatal gunshot wound. Royal Navy Clearance Diver Matthew Moreton, who shared a cabin with PO Paxton, said that he had gone to sleep with the keys to the weapons storage on his belt.He said he was called to the weapons storage the following day, where a rifle was missing, along with ammunition and he found PO Paxton dead in the showers.The inquest heard PO Paxton had pleaded not guilty to the sexual assault charges, but the trial had not yet taken place.He had suffered from depression and anxiety, and he was deemed medically unfit for several months.PO Paxton's brother, Ross, said he had struggled with his marriage breakdown and had told him 'the one thing he couldn't live with was another man living in his own house with his kids'.His partner at the time, Clare Anderson, said that she 'worried' about PO Paxton because he had told her that he was in 'pain'.In a statement to the inquest, she said: 'He said that everybody was better off without him and that he couldn't live with the pain he was in.'Area Coroner for Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton, Jason Pegg, concluded that PO Paxton had taken his own life. Mr Pegg said: 'Jon had been through a divorce. He did have access to his children, whether it was as much as he liked is not a matter for me.'That was one of the things that had been going on in Jon's life and in his medical reports there was some depression and anxiety related to this.'The Royal Navy had seen fit to keep him shoreside and non-operational for that time.'Jon returned to Arbroath in November, December, and whilst out in a local bar, Jon had consumed a substantial quantity of alcohol, and an allegation was made against him, and what the outcome of that allegation would have been is purely speculation.'The impact of that allegation alone on Jon, who was in the Royal Navy and a father, did bring great shame.'There were also some problems in the background, like a debt of £25,000, but that is something he could have overcome with his secure job.' Mr Pegg ruled that the weapons had been securely stored and that the ammunition had been securely stored separately from the weapons.He said: 'The weapons were kept in a secure locker and the ammunition was kept separate from them, as it rightly should be. From the evidence I have before me, those weapons were kept securely.'Addressing PO Paxton's mother and brother he said: 'I get the impression you were very proud of Jon. It seems to me he was a good father, a good son, he was serving his country in the Royal Navy.'It seems that the type of character Jon was to his family, and the evidence from his executive officer, described Jon as a big character.'His mother, Linda, said: 'I absolutely loved him. He had a great sense of humour. A really good lad. He loved his kids, loved being a dad. He loved his job, absolutely loved it. He joined up when he was 19.'