Charles Harbord, father of Prince Harry's friend, shot himself 'because he was tired and did not want to grow old' Initially Sandra Watton thought that Mr Harbord had suffered a fatal heart attack, only discovering the grim truth when she tried to roll his body over to perform CPR. Ms Watton had arrived at the Garden House, Wyke Hall, Wyke, near Gillingham, Dorset, as Mr Harbord's wife Sarah returned home from a trip to the doctors' surgery. She set about her tasks, ironing the family's clothes and then vacuuming on the second floor. "As I hoovered I caught sight of Mr Harbord's head lying in the corridor between the ironing room and the daughters' rooms," she said in a statement. I could only see the top of his shoulder and his head, I could not see beyond the corner. I ran downstairs and called Mrs Harbord to come upstairs. I went back with Mrs Harbord to call an ambulance, she was listening to the conversation, I was told to try CPR. I went back upstairs alone and went to Mr Harbord, he was lying with his back close to the wall. I pulled his left arm towards me trying to move him away from the wall, I saw blood on the carpet and under him. Ms Watton also saw the gun lying underneath Mr Harbord's body. In a statement read to the hearing at Dorchester, Ms Watton said that she had worked for the family for seven years, the first five at their previous address near Salisbury, Wilts. A post mortem examination carried out after Mr Harbord's death on May 22 confirmed that he had died from the shotgun wound. He suffered injuries to the chest wall and cavity, as well as disruption to the heart valve. Pathologist Dr Mark Deverell also noted that Mr Harbord was suffering from aschemic heart disease and had a pulmonary embolism. Police including firearms officers were dispatched to the house to comb for clues as to how Mr Harbord met his death, and to make the shotgun safe. Detective constable Peter Grey said in his statement that there was a recently-used gun cleaning kit left out, and that one of two cartridges had been fired. The detective noticed that a fire extinguisher bracket had been moved, and came to the conclusion that Mr Harbord had used it to help him to fire the weapon. "I believe it was self inflicted and the fire extinguisher bracket was used to pull the trigger," he said. In another statement read to the inquest Mrs Harbord, who did not attend the 20 minute long hearing, said that she thought that her husband had gone out when she returned home and could not see him. She said that she came running up the stairs when Ms Watton told her that Mr Harbord had collapsed on the floor. "We were given instructions to see if Charles was breathing," she said. Sandra tried to pull Charles so he was flat on his back, in doing so she had her hands under Charles and discovered the blood. I could see the shotgun. She said that she had not known whether he had been suffering from depression, or had been harbouring suicidal tendencies. No suicide note was found at the scene. "I was shocked and upset," said Mrs Harbord. It was confirmed to me by paramedics that Charles had passed away. I was asked about the shot guns, we have two, they belong to our daughters. They were locked in a gun cupboard. Charles had given up shooting some time ago and had no reason to get the guns out. I didn't recognise any deviation from his normal state of mind, he was secretive and I wouldn't expect him to discuss concerns with me. However, after 33 years of marriage I would be the first to know if something was wrong. Looking back I think Charles was tired and did not want to grow old. Coroner Michael Johnston said that he could not record a suicide verdict, despite the fact that Mr Harbord had clearly shot himself. "He was holding the gun against his chest, clearly there were arrangements made and this was self inflicted," he said. What he was doing with guns no one knows, they weren't his they were his daughters. He added: "What he has not done is leave any indication of what he intended to do. The law says the coroner can not say thaty someone intended to kill themselves from circumstantial evidence. The circumstances are the only evidence here. I will not record that he took his own life, though I believe it was self inflicted but I shall record an open verdict because there is inadequate evidence to show what intention Mr Harbord had. The coroner recorded an open verdict.