A PENSIONER drugged and suffocated his wife before shooting himself in the head, an inquest heard.

The hearing was told Frank Wilson had struggled to cope with Sheila's failing health but resisted attempts for outside assistance.

The pair were found dead at their Meadowcroft Lane home at Storrs, near Windermere, on January 19, 2020.

The inquest heard that Mr Wilson, 77, a former pilot, exerted significant control over his wife, 80, and was reluctant to spend money.

"They could've had a lovely life," Kathleen Powell, the sister of Mrs Wilson, told Cockermouth Coroner's Court.

"The boiler was on the blink, the plumbing was on the blink.

"He just wouldn't spend."

The inquest heard that, when the couple retired, they moved from Sussex to Cumbria against the wishes of Mrs Wilson. The first time she even laid eyes on the property was when they moved in.

The health of Mrs Wilson, a former teacher, began to deteriorate in 2019, the hearing heard.

Simone Backhouse, a good friend of Sheila's, said: "Frank's routine was changing. He couldn't just disappear off any more while Sheila was unwell.

"Sheila was going to the doctor once a week, which drove him crazy.

"He would say 'there's no point, she's dying'."

Ms Backhouse said Mr Wilson had talked about dying by suicide.

The inquest heard he had expressed concern about who would look after him after Sheila had died, and that his controlling behaviour continued as her health worsened.

"Sheila wasn't sleeping well and had taken to walking through the house in the night instead of laying in bed," said Ms Backhouse.

"Frank tried to keep her in bed at night by putting his arm around her, pinning her down."

Ms Backhouse found Mr Wilson dead on the afternoon of January 20. She had called prior to arriving but received no reply.

A note left by Mr Wilson said his wife had died at 8am the previous day having 'overdosed' on morphine the night before.

Mrs Wilson was in her bed, also dead.

The post-mortem examination confirmed that Mr Wilson had died from a shotgun wound to the head.

It revealed that Mrs Wilson had a 'very high' level of morphine, which she had been prescribed, in her system.

However, no evidence of other drugs was found, confirming what the inquest had been told - that it was believed Mr Wilson had been withholding other prescribed medication from his wife.

The examination also revealed evidence of neck compression, likely caused by a pillow or cushion.

Dr Nicholas Shaw, assistant coroner for Cumbria, concluded that Mr Wilson died by suicide.

He recorded the cause of death for Mrs Wilson as 'unlawful killing'.

He also said he would write a letter to the Windermere and Bowness Medical Practice expressing 'regret' that safeguarding - such as social services - was 'not considered sooner' in the case of the couple.