Vicar sets himself on fire after being arrested over historic sexual offences

A vicar set himself on fire in his garden after he was arrested on suspicion of historic sexual offences, an inquest heard.

The remains of Father Martyn Neale, 60, were found by his sister Janis Chandler in the garden of the vicarage where he lived.

He was being investigated by the Metropolitan Police over sexual offences committed 20 years ago.

Ms Chandler told Basingstoke Coroner’s Court how she found his heavily charred body next to a petrol can on July 25.

Just eight days earlier, he was initially arrested by police over the alleged offences.

North East Hampshire Coroner Andrew Bradley today said the allegations against Mr Neale ‘clearly weighed on him’, regardless of whether they were true or not.

A post-mortem found his body was covered in ‘near-total third degree burns’ and was blackened by ‘soot’.

The inquest heard how he could only be identified by dental records.

Ms Chandler said she had arranged for her brother to pick her up so they could spend the day with their parents.

But after attempting to contact him throughout the day, she went to find her brother at Hawley Vicarage in Blackwater, Hampshire, at around 4pm.

She said: ‘I have a key, so I let myself in after getting no answer on the doorbell.

‘I went in. He wasn’t there so I had a look around. His cars were parked outside. I noticed that the back door was unlocked as the chain was dangling.

‘I went into the garden and, as I turned right, I saw the petrol can.

‘I walked further and I just saw something on the ground that was burned. I was not sure at first, but I realised it was a body when I got nearer.

‘I could see it was a body because there was a face and it was face down.’

She said her brother would ‘help anyone’ and that they were ‘a very close family’, seeing each other almost every day.

Ms Chandler said her brother ‘had not spoken’ about the allegations against him, but said she knew he had been suspended by the Church of England.

Detective Constable Matt Deery, of Hampshire Police, said: ‘Martyn was arrested and interviewed on July 17 in connection with historic sexual offences.’

Coroner Mr Bradley recorded a verdict of suicide, saying Mr Neale ‘effectively incinerated himself’ in his garden against the backdrop of alleged sexual offences.

He added: ‘I do not and cannot look at these other than as allegations made. The relevance of them is that they have been made.’