A rich businessman in Neath, South Wales, was so bitter towards his wife that rather than divorce her, he ran up a series of debts, cancelled his life insurance and then killed himself.

That’ll show her mate!

Fifty-Four year old Gerald Mellin tied a noose around his neck and attached it to a tree, before jumping off his convertible Aston Martin DB7, decapitating himself. Not a pleasant way to go. The day before he killed himself he’d cancelled his life insurance policy.

His estranged wife, and mother of their two children, Mirrielle Mellin, stated at the inquest:

We had split up and been to court.

He ran up an extortionate amount of debt. I’ve got to sell the farmhouse now, just to pay the debts.

The policy that Gerald Mellin cancelled would have paid out to his wife, but now instead of leaving her with money he’s left her with debt.

It’s a bit extreme in order to avoid a divorce, but effective nonetheless.

Clive Bellmore