The girlfriend of a former Shropshire millionaire businessman believed to have shot her before turning the gun on himself had taken out an injunction days earlier, it was claimed today.

The action against him was taken when he threatened to shoot her, a friend said today.

Howard Worthington was said to have been banned from the £900,000 home in Brewood, Staffordshire, he shared with Julie Rees following a row after Christmas when he fetched a gun, placed it under his chin, then threatened to kill her first.

The terrified mother-of-two called the police and Mr Worthington, 52, fled before later being arrested in Codsall three miles away.

Mrs Rees’s friend said today an injunction was placed on the four-times-married businessman to keep away from her and their country cottage in Hyde Mill Lane.

The friend, who did not want to be named, said Mrs Rees had been living in fear of Mr Worthington breaking the injunction. He also spoke of the row that prompted a 999 call and of the financial pressures the businessman, formerly of Shray Hill House, Shray Hill, between Newport and Crudgington, had been placing on her.

“She told me they’d had a lovely Christmas but just a few days afterwards . . . he started saying she never paid for family meals when they went out,” he said.

According to the friend they continued the argument, until he left the room and came back with a gun which he held under his chin before threatening her verbally. She called the police. Police investigations are continuing.