British man, 64, is suspected of ‘killing his wife before hanging himself at their French home’

A British man who took his own life at home in southern France is believed to have murdered his wife prior to his suicide amid ‘financial difficulties’.

A murder investigation has been opened in Boudrac, in the foothills of the Pyrenees south of Toulouse, after the pair’s corpses were found at their isolated countryside home.

They had part-converted their home and outhouse into a bed and breakfast, but cut the project short due to financial problems.

Friends of the couple – who have not yet been named – called in at the house on Sunday afternoon to check in after not hearing from them for at least three days.

When they arrived at their home – which was due to be turned into a bed and breakfast guest house – they found the lifeless body of a 65-year-old woman.

‘She has been dead for some days and had a rope around her neck,’ said local prosecutor Christophe Amunzateguy.

‘Wounds were also found on her body – there were signs of strangulation and blows.’ 

Police who were called to the scene then discovered the body of her husband, 64, in an outhouse. 

Amunzateguy said he appeared to have hanged himself.

A British couple has been found dead at their isolated countryside home in Boudrac, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, south of Toulouse. Friends had not heard from them for the last three days, but upon checking on them found the pair hanged on Sunday afternoon

‘He was found hanged, and had left a note’ said Mr Amunzateguy, adding: ‘The couple had a project to open a guesthouse but it was ended because of financial difficulties.’

The prosecutor said the evidence ‘clearly makes us think of a wife killing. We have not, at this stage, evidence of the presence of a third party.’

He said the couple had no criminal record.  

A note found at the scene also spoke of financial trouble, according to Connexion France.

The couple had bought their house in Boudrac – which has a population of around 130 – in early 2021 and wanted to turn it into a bed and breakfast. 

Amunzateguy added that postmortem examinations would be conducted on the bodies today to establish a cause of death for both individuals.

Feminist groups say at least 33 women have been killed by their husbands or partners so far in France this year. 

The figure for 2021 was 113, according to The Times.