AN OUTDOOR instructor whose successful adventure business failed due to the pandemic later shot himself at his home.

Andrew Miller, from Liverton, was a firearms certificate holder and legally held shotguns which were stored in a locked cabinet in his bedroom cum office.

His teacher wife Rachel told an Exeter inquest that they wed in August 2007 and he ran his Backwater Adventures company which specialised in canoeing and caving expeditions.

She told the coroner the pandemic brought the business to ‘a halt and disappeared completely’ but he still had to pay the licensing authorities for his registration despite the fact he had no income coming in.

He tried to revive the business with archery, air rifle and clay pigeon shoots and later a gardening business but they were not as successful as his adventure company.

She said the couple, who lived in Kittersley Drive, were financially secure and 52-year-old Mr Miller said he was fine when she suggested he seek some professional help.

But she never thought he would harm himself or she would have had the gun licence revoked.

In the days before his death, they had been to a Take That concert in Plymouth and on the day itself they met friends at a pub and Mr Miller had drunk a few pints of cider.

His wife said they returned home, had some wine but had an argument and he went upstairs.

She did not recall hearing the shot but smelled something like burning matchsticks.

She found him dead on the floor with his shotgun next to him.

She said: ‘I cannot fathom why he did it. Everything got on top of him. He was the best and most generous person I have ever met.’

Police said the gun and ammunition were legally held. He died from a single shotgun injury to the head.

Assistant coroner Ian Arrow said he was satisfied Mr Miller had drunk some alcohol and ‘it appears there was an exchange of words’, he went upstairs and took his gun from the locked cabinet with the intention of taking his own life.