Wiltshire farmer dying by gunshot was 'tragic death'

Oliver Kinch, known locally as Ollie, died at the age of 32 after sustaining a fatal gunshot wound on a farm in Foxham, between Chippenham and Royal Wootton Bassett, on September 3, 2023.

An inquest, which has been ongoing for almost three years, has now concluded that Mr Kinch died by suicide.

Ollie was born in Chippenham in 1991 and worked as an agricultural contractor, having set up his own business.

Oliver Kinch has been remembered as a hardworking and ambitious agricultural worker from Wiltshire (Image: Social media)

In a statement read out in court, his mother described her eldest son's love of farming and the outdoors as something he carried with him throughout his life.

"He was very happy-go-lucky and a driven young man. If he wanted something, he would go and get it," said Ollie's mother.

“Right from an early age, all he would talk about was tractors. Farming was something he lived and breathed. The bigger the machine he could use, the better.

“In his teenage years, he loved motocross and shooting with his dad. He was very much an outdoors person and he would come home from school and be outside on the farm.”

“He didn’t really follow any trends. He was very much his own person.”

On the day before his tragic death, Ollie moved in with his girlfriend at a property near to his family.

“They were excited. He was the happiest I had seen him in a long time," added Ollie's mum.

"They told me they’d got fish and chips on the way back. I went over to help them unpack. They came to sleep in our spare room that night while they sorted the new address out.”

An argument took place late that evening and saw Ollie leave the house.

His father told the coroner he was woken at around midnight by the events unfolding around him and was told that Ollie was missing.

Police were contacted shortly after midnight and local units were dispatched. A decision was made to deploy armed officers due to concerns.

A police helicopter was sent shortly after 1am and at 2.02am, Ollie was found deceased in a field near his parents’ farm with a fatal gunshot wound to the head.

A GP statement confirmed that Ollie had no known mental health or issues or concerns prior his death.

Despite concerns raised by the family about the police response, HM Senior Coroner David Ridley said that he did not find there to be any issues in the police response to this incident.

He described what happened to Ollie as a "tragic death."

“I deal with many sad cases in my job, but this really is such a sad case," said the coroner.

Oliver's death has been recorded as suicide and the inquest has now concluded.

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