North Yorkshire farmer and Asda egg supplier James Potter took his own life aged 44, inquest finds

Oliver James Potter, who was known as James and was the 'face' of his family business alongside his brother Adrian, had been suffering from severe mental distress following the breakdown of his marriage which had restricted his access to his two children.

His wife, Victoria, with whom he had been in a relationship with since 2004 and had married in 2010, is the mother of his two children.

The couple had separated around a year earlier and were going through an 'acrimonious' divorce, during which James had been restricted access to his children, the inquest, held at County Hall in Northallerton, heard.

A statement from his family described James, who was a keen runner, cyclist and played for Ripon Rugby Club, as a 'livewire' with a strong work ethic which had helped drive forward the family business, which has contracts for its James Potter Eggs brand with Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury's.

A female friend contacted police when she was unable to reach him at his rented home on Littlethorpe Farm, near Ripon, and his body was found in a garage near to the property in October 2019. His parents Roger and Susan began rearing chickens at Village Farm in Catton, near Thirsk, in 1971, and the company now has six farms across the UK.

A postmortem found no evidence or alcohol or drugs in his bloodstream, though James had admitted to medical professionals that he had taken cocaine recreationally in the past and that this had caused tension in his marriage.

Assistant coroner for North Yorkshire Richard Watson said: "James Potter was involved in a difficult divorce which gave rise to significant mental distress. There was no evidence of any illicit drug use at the time of his death. Clearly the pressures became overwhelming and he did take his own life."

The inquest was attended by James's siblings Giles, Adrian and Rebecca and their father Roger, as well as Victoria Potter's father, Anthony Chapman.

Paying tribute to him, the statement from the Potter family said: "From the onset, James was a livewire with a cheeky grin. At school, he excelled at rugby and hockey and surrounded himself with friends. His work ethic shone through from a young age, when he would collect eggs with his siblings. He studied agri-business management at Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester and joined the family business, where he was a major force in driving it forward.

"His proudest achievement was his two children. They were his world. He loved sharing his love for the outdoors with them. We as a family made every effort to support James, and we would not wish anyone else to endure the pain he suffered."

The inquest was told by Dr Charles Parker, James's GP, that his patient was under 'extreme pressure because of his divorce' and had been unable to work in the weeks before his death. His father Roger had raised concerns about his son's mental health following a holiday to Portugal in August 2019, during which James had been out of contact.

A psychiatrist, Dr Jane Nath, assessed James in early September and he also confided in her about his marital issues. In a statement read to the inquest, Dr Nath said: "James Potter was co-operative and pleasant. There was no evidence of serious mental illness. He said there had been trouble in his marriage for around four years, and that they split up in 2018. He admitted to recreational cocaine use which his wife had struggled with. His wife now had a new partner and had denied him access to the children, and had accused him of kidnap.

"A family court had recommended supervised contact with them every other weekend. He had just taken them on holiday to Portugal before this hearing and was shocked at the outcome - he said there had been false allegations made against him and that he had had a panic attack. He said he still loved his wife and loved being a father. He wanted to give his wife some time to come round and see logic."

PC Hollie Manning, the police officer who broke the news of James's death to Mrs Potter and said she seemed "extremely upset and shocked" by the news.

PC Manning said: "She told me they weren't on speaking terms and that contact was through their solicitors. She had been concerned about his mental health and had told the Potter family to help him. She agreed she had stopped him seeing the children because of the cocaine use, because she did not believe the children were safe with him."

Mark Howarth, a crisis clinician for the mental health team at Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, also gave evidence about James's mental state.

"The lack of access to the children was a triggering factor. After his wife began another relationship, he was denied access and allegations were made against him. He was agitated and anxious, but there was no sign of psychosis."

Mr Watson recorded a verdict of suicide.

Anyone seeking help for their mental health can access a range of helplines and services through the NHS or contact Samaritans on 116 123.

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