Foster wife not told of debts

The 50-year-old failed managing director confided in friends, but refused to tell his wife Jill of their huge problems.

The housewife and the couple's 15-year-old daughter Kirstie both died of a gunshot wound to the head, while Foster died from smoke inhalation.

See our Foster news archive here

Tests could not prove earlier claims that he had turned the gun on himself but instead showed he was overcome by carbon monoxide.

Yesterday his friends told the Shrewsbury inquest they believed his forthcoming bankruptcy and loss of income from his failed business had led him to the tragic actions at Osbaston House, Maesbrook, in August last year.

Today John Hughes, an Oswestry businessman, told the inquests of Christopher Foster, his wife Jill, and their daughter Kirstie, what he discovered when he arrived at the scene of Osbaston House as it was transformed into an inferno.

Mr Hughes, who had hosted a clay pigeon shoot and barbecue attended by the Fosters at his home the previous day, said after receiving the phone call telling him there was a "horrendous fire" he was "absolutely in shock".

On arrival at Osbaston House he saw three fire engines and police vehicles parked on the lane and a horse box parked across the gate.

"I went up the drive and I saw that the barns had been burnt down and all the cars and where the horses were and a third of the house was on fire I would say," Mr Hughes said.

Mr Hughes's wife Camilla said Christopher Foster "had a nice life and liked nice things".

She referred to the barbecue as being a "very relaxed, pleasant Monday afternoon".

She described the Fosters as being "very normal as we would have expected", adding that she did not notice anything untoward, saying Christopher Foster was his normal, jovial, chatty self.

Mrs Hughes said that she heard Christopher Foster say that the Russians "owed him several million".

Jan Hudson, another family friend who went to the Hughes's gathering, said: "He was the usual Chris, nothing untoward."

Peter Grkinic, director of Ulva – the Telford company which Christopher Foster was managing director of – said their 17-year friendship was very strong until "financial difficulties" saw Foster no longer involved in the business.

Mr Grkinic said: "He (Foster) said one of the only options left to him was to disappear."

He said Foster said something like he would "do myself in" but made his former business partner promise to look after Jill and Kirstie, an Ellesmere College student. Mr Grkinic said Mrs Foster, 49, "had no idea of the problems that were going on".

Mark Bassett, a friend and business associate of Foster, said Ulva got into trouble when Foster tried to avoid paying the legal claim lost in the High Court after a successful breach of contract hearing against his company. He referred to Foster as saying he "would not allow liquidators to take his stuff – they were his possessions".

Mr Bassett had claimed Foster said: "I will top myself before that – they will have to carry me out in a box." Mr Bassett said Foster had confided in him by saying "he would not put Jill and Kirstie through a degrading change of lifestyle".

Dr William Grech, of Knockin Medical Practice, said despite trying to encourage the 50-year-old to share his problems with his wife, he never believed he did so.

During an appointment in March last year, Foster said his business problems were affecting his well-being, leaving him unable to sleep and feeling suicidal. He was put on anti-depressants.

Patrick Kelly, financial investigator for West Mercia Police, told the inquest that Ulva International Ltd had previously funded the family's lifestyle and the single source of income had then disappeared when the company collapsed.

The assets included the £1.16 million home, £14,500 of horses and £56,000 of vehicles. While his catalogue of liabilities, totalling £4.44 million, included three mortgages of £90,000, £177,000 and £92,0000 and a £235,000 overdraft.

James Walker, a chartered accountant, told the coroner he was involved in the litigation between DRC and Ulva when there was a breach of an exclusive contract. A High Court judgement ruled that unquantified damages had to be paid by Ulva.

But in June 2007 Foster started "asset stripping" and moved the Hortonwood property from Ulva into his name and before any conclusion was made as to the total of damages, administration procedures were under way.

Mr Walker said vast amounts of cash were moved, along with plant machinery, contracts and employees to a new company set up by Foster called Phoenix. It left Ulva without a single asset.

By Kirsty Smallman and Suzanne Roberts