Max Mosley, the Formula One boss, shot himself dead after learning he had terminal cancer, an inquest has heard.
The 81-year-old, son of the fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley and an ardent privacy campaigner, was found with a fatal gunshot wound to the head at his home in Chelsea, west London, last May.
His family had announced his death in a statement at the time, but said only that he “died after a long battle with cancer”.
On Tuesday, an inquest was told Mr Mosley took his own life after learning his lymphoma was incurable and he had just “weeks” to live .
A neighbour and Mr Mosley’s housekeeper raised the alarm after growing worried about him and then finding a note on his bedroom door saying: “Do not enter, call the police.”
‘I had no choice’
Police officers entered the room, where the body of Mr Mosley was lying in bed with a double-barreled shotgun, Westminster Coroner’s Court was told.
Nearby, a sucide note lay on his bedroom table which said: “I had no choice.”
Henry Alexander, the neighbour, told the inquest he had gone to Mr Mosley’s house at around 8am on May 24 last year after receiving worrying texts from him the night before.
He tried to text Mr Mosley asking whether he wanted his breakfast upstairs, before eventually venturing up himself with the housekeeper, where he phoned 999 upon seeing the note.
Mr Alexander said: “He had an aggressive form of cancer and had been down. He said he had had enough.”
The family doctor arrived at the scene shortly after the discovery of the body, a police officer told the inquest.
Det Con Ben Benlounes said: “(The doctor) did say the consultation was he may have two to three weeks left and this could have been the reason why he killed himself.”
The officer confirmed Mr Mosley had a gun licence and kept four firearms on the property, but there was found to be nothing suspicious about his death.
Dr Christopher McNamara, a consultant haematologist who first saw Mr Mosley in October 2019, said he had diagnosed a high-grade lymphoma and recommended a course of chemotherapy for prostate cancer.
The treatment did not stop the cancer, however, leading Mr Mosley to undertake further treatment, including some against his doctor’s advice such as proton beam therapy, the court heard.
Dr McNamara said he eventually referred Mr Mosley to palliative care colleagues and he initially “accepted” he had a terminal illness.
A fistula soon developed which left him with an “uncomfortable” quality of life, the doctor said.
He told the inquest: “Mr Mosley had expressed ideas of committing suicide to myself and other colleagues and had been referred to appropriate colleagues.
“He never expressed a plan of doing this and always said the problem was that his wife would not accept this.”
Dr Rasha Al-Qurainy, who led his palliative care, said that Mr Mosley never gave any indication of suicide ideation.
The inquest continues.
