Judge killed himself, says wife

The inquest should last five days

The wife of a judge who died in a fireball in his shed was convinced he had killed himself, an inquest has heard.

Andrew Chubb, 58, died at his home near Chard, Somerset, in July 2001 less than an hour after asking his wife of 34 years, Jennifer, for a divorce.

Mrs Chubb, 60, told neighbours at the scene that she thought her husband, who had a mistress, had taken his own life.

The inquest is the second into the death, which has been ruled accidental.

Gardener Peter Evans was the first on the scene. Giving evidence at Glastonbury Town Hall, he said he had gone to the Chubbs' farmhouse after hearing the blast.

"I remember her being certain her husband had committed suicide," he said.

Mrs Chubb and Ms Sparrow

"Mrs Chubb mentioned the other woman and that he (Mr Chubb) had asked for divorce."

Mr Evans said Mrs Chubb told him her husband had earlier been looking at an attic window at the house, implying that he might jump from it.

Mr Evans said that as he tried to find a way of getting the judge out of the shed Mrs Chubb had started taking washing off the line.

He said: "That I found strange. If her husband was in the shed, she was bothered about the washing."

Sarah Bourke, representing Mr Chubb's mistress Kerry Sparrow, said one of Mrs Chubb's friends had asked her at the house if she "had a solicitor and if Bob paid out on suicides".

Mr Evans said of the conversation: "I thought it was a strange thing to say so soon after what had happened."

At the start of the inquest, Coroner Sheriff Payne told the hearing that Mrs Chubb had now moved to Australia and would not be giving evidence.