McFall inquests open

Tragic Shropshire mother and daughter Sue and Frankie McFall died of head injuries, it was revealed today.

And businessman Hugh McFall was found hanged inside his lock-up in St Martins, it has been confirmed.

Details of the tragedy were outlined this morning at the opening of inquests on the family, of Hampton Road, Oswestry.

The bodies of Mrs McFall, 56, and Frankie, 18, were found at the family home early on Friday, just hours before Mr McFall, 48, was found at the lock-up. Police believe he murdered his wife and daughter before killing himself.

The brief hearing gave no clues as to what sparked the tragedy but speaking after Detective Superintendent Sheila Thornes said: "I can confirm that Hugh McFall was not the subject of any police investigation prior to his death."

After hearing identification evidence, Mr John Ellery, coroner for Mid and North Shropshire, was given a brief outline of the police investigation by Detective Inspector Michael Homden.

Mr Homden said at 5am on Friday police received a call to the family's home.

"When officers arrived they effected entry and found inside the bodies of two females," he said. "Inquiries then led us to go to an industrial estate in Ellesmere Road, St Martins, where inside a unit was found hanging the body of a man. Since that time those two females have been identified as Frankie McFall and her mother Susan and the man in the unit was her father Hugh."

Mr Homden said he was present the following day at a post mortem examination carried out at a mortuary in Sandwell. He said the pathologist Dr Alexander Kolar found the cause of death for both Frankie and Mrs McFall to be one of head injury and hanging for Mr McFall.

Mr Homden added: "This investigation is ongoing and we are following various lines of inquiry. It is an in depth investigation which will take several weeks or months."

Identification evidence for all three victims was given by police family liaison officers on behalf of John Smith, of Jersey, the brother of Mrs McFall, and Claire Rheade, Mr McFall's sister, of New Marton, St Martins.

The coroner adjourned the inquests to a date to be fixed. No relatives attended this morning's brief hearing.