The wife of a Suffolk butcher who died after falling from a multi-storey car park, was found at her home with wounds to her head and neck.

An inquest into the deaths of Deborah and Oliver Ruse was opened today at IP City Centre in Ipswich.

The hearing was told Mr Ruse, 37, the owner of Ruse & Son butchers in Long Melford, was discovered on the ground beside the Parkway car park in Bury St Edmunds on the afternoon of November 13.

Inquiries led police to Mrs Ruse’s home in Park Terrace, Long Melford, a few hours later, where her body was discovered.

Detective Inspector Eamonn Bridger, the senior investigating officer for the case, gave a report at the inquest.

The inquest was told an axe was found in a gold Land Rover Discovery belonging to Mr Ruse in the car park. The axe had Mrs Ruse’s blood on it and the DNA of her husband on the handle.

The inquest was also told of a comment Mr Ruse made to his sister on November 11, that “the only way out of the situation was if he killed Deborah. He then immediately said that he couldn’t live with himself, so it was not an option.”

A post-mortem examination revealed that Mrs Ruse’s injuries showed wounds to the head and neck, while Mr Ruse’s death was consistent with injuries sustained from falling from a height.

Police are treating the deaths as suspected murder and suicide.

The pair, who were married in 1998, had been separated at the time of their deaths, and were involved in an acrimonious dispute over where their four daughters would live.

The inquest has been adjourned until February 26.