Suicide by man, 62, over facelift

An undated picture of Colin Phillips, who became a recluse after his third facelift

A wealthy retired businessman killed himself after he was "appalled" by the result of a third facelift operation, an inquest has heard.

Colin Phillips's wife said he felt he had been "butchered" and became a recluse, the Newport hearing was told.

Mr Phillips, 62, from Lisvane, Cardiff, was so ashamed he told friends he had been hit in the face with a golf club.

The coroner recorded a suicide verdict after hearing that Mr Phillips killed himself eight months later.

Grandfather Mr Phillips had retired from kitchen company Llandaff Laminates he had set up 40 years ago in Cardiff, but was determined to stay looking young and healthy, the inquest was told.

In a written statement to police his widow Janice told how her husband was "fanatical" about the way he looked.

He would look in the mirror and was shaking because he was so anxious Janice Phillips

Mrs Phillips said: "He had two earlier facelifts with the first one leaving him feeling tremendous.

"He did look good. He was obsessed by his physical appearance - he was fanatical."

She said her husband scoured the internet to find a Harley Street surgeon to perform his third facelift after his original surgeon refused to operate on him again.

She said: "He was so intent on having a maxi-facelift and was pinning his hopes on it.

"He wanted to be fit for the operation and he even wouldn't share a bed in case he caught a cold," said mother-of-two Mrs Phillips.

"But after the operation he looked at himself in the mirror and was appalled. He felt he had been butchered.

'Bizarre behaviour'

"He hid himself away and became a recluse. He would look in the mirror and was shaking because he was so anxious.

Friends were shocked after seeing Mr Phillips following the facelift last April, the inquest was told.

Mrs Phillips, who did not attend the inquest, said:"He told them he was hit in the face by a golf club."

A month after his last operation Mr Phillips took an overdose and was admitted to hospital.

Mrs Phillips said her husband's behaviour "became bizarre". He would bang his head on the fence of their home in Cardiff, pick up knives and drink bleach.

Her husband made another failed suicide attempt before he hanged himself in woods eight months after his operation, the inquest was told.

On the day he disappeared, the retired managing director left a note saying he was going for a walk around a lake.

A police search was launched when he failed to return home and his body was later found at a country park at Rudry, near Caerphilly.

Pc Darren Saltmarsh said officers found his silver BMW was parked nearby and he was discovered hanging from a tree.

The surgeon who carried out the facelift was not named at the inquest.

Gwent coroner David Bowen recorded a suicide verdict.