A second inquest into the death of a judge who was killed in a fire in his garden shed has failed to reach a definite conclusion on his death.

Coroner Sheriff Payne found that the cause of death of 58-year-old Andrew Chubb was "unascertained" at the inquest in Glastonbury.

Judge Chubb was found dead in his garden shed, following a fire, in 2001. It emerged that he had asked his Jennifer Chubb, 60 - his wife of 34 years - for a divorce shortly before his death.

Mrs Chubb was questioned by police on suspicion of murder and perjury a year after her husband's death.

During the inquest, neighbours of the couple said that Mrs Chubb had told them that her husband had committed suicide, but she had later changed her story and said that it was more likely to be an accident.

It also emerged that Mrs Chubb had told police that Judge Chubb's mistress, Kerry Sparrow had been blackmailing him - a claim which Ms Sparrow denied. She had claimed that the judge was trapped in a loveless marriage.

The Crown Prosecution Service later decided that there was not enough evidence to bring charges against Mrs Chubb. She later moved to Australia and did not attend the second inquest.

However, Ms Sparrow, who won a High Court ruling allowing for a second inquest to be held, did attend the five-day inquest to give evidence. She said that she did not think that Judge Chubb had killed himself and did not believe that his death was accidental.

However, Mr Payne returned a narrative verdict on Friday, overruling the first verdict of accidental death.

He said that it was not possible to determine whether Judge Chubb was prevented from escaping from the shed because of the fire or by "any other means". He was said that evidence that he might have committed suicide fell "far below proof beyond doubt".

Mr Payne also said that it would have been virtually impossible for Mrs Chubb to disable her husband and set fire to the shed and dismissed claims that a third party was involved in his death.

However, he also admitted that it was a mystery why the judge had closed the doors to the shed and not tried to escape the fire.

(KMcA)