Minister's suicide over HIV fear

Rev Tom Griffiths felt he had betrayed God

A Baptist minister who covered his body in secret tattoos hanged himself in the belief he had infected his family with the Aids virus, an inquest has heard.

The Reverend Thomas Griffiths, 52, from Mumbles near Swansea, believed he had contracted the virus at a tattoo parlour, despite later testing negative.

A second Aids test carried out after his death last year confirmed he had never been HIV positive.

Swansea coroner Phillip Rogers recorded a verdict of suicide.

Earlier, Pc Alister Smith told the inquest that an increasingly depressed Rev Griffiths felt he had betrayed God by going against scripture and having his body tattooed.

He remained convinced he was infected and believed he had potentially "murdered" his wife Susan and son Richard by passing it on to them.

He appeared to be rebelling against the establishment and this appeared to be his way of doing it Pc Alister Smith

On November 27 last year he hanged himself in a store room attached to Mumbles Baptist Chapel, Swansea, where he had been a minister for more than a decade.

His body was found that afternoon by the chapel organist as she prepared for a weekly meeting.

Rev Griffiths' final thoughts were contained on a CD-Rom discovered on his body by police when they were called to the scene.

'Growing concerns'

The court heard that Rev Griffiths had become interested in motorbikes in the early 1980s. Later, he had travelled to Cardiff and had body piercings and tattoos, which he always tried to keep secret from his wife.

"He appeared to be rebelling against the establishment and this appeared to be his way of doing it," said Pc Smith.

Rev Griffiths had himself checked for the Aids virus at a Swansea hospital as a result of his growing concerns and was given the all-clear.

But in September last year he accepted a three-month exchange tour with a minister from New Zealand and travelled there with his wife and son.

During this time he increasingly studied the subject of Aids on the internet and came to believe his earlier test had been invalid.

He also grew depressed at news that the minister from New Zealand had not been successful in Mumbles and was eventually sacked, the inquest heard.

When he returned to Wales with his family last November he had already formed the intention of taking his own life.

Pc Smith said the CD-Rom found on his body contained several letters which "expressed his thoughts and feelings prior to his death".

He added: "He believed that he had betrayed Susan, Richard and God and could have murdered his family."

Swansea coroner Phillip Rogers recorded a verdict of suicide. He said it was clear Mr Griffiths had had a large number of tattoos over a period of years.