Thomas Kingston’s parents, Jill and Martin, have spoken publicly about the devastating day they lost their son in February last year, as they push for changes to mental health care and medication protocols.
Thomas, a 45-year-old financier, was found dead at his parents’ home in the Cotswolds on 25 February, having suffered a “traumatic head wound” with a gun discovered nearby. In the days leading up to his death, he had stopped taking his prescribed antidepressant medication.
Appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Jill and Martin offered an emotional recount of their final hours with Thomas. “He was normal, he was fun—we were laughing about various things. There was nothing that raised any suspicions in our minds,” Jill shared, recalling how they had lunch together and spent a quiet afternoon reading by the fire on what she described as a “cold February day.”
Jill continued, “We all fell asleep. Martin decided to go for a walk, and Tom got up to unload his car because he’d brought some things back from London that were to be stored with us.”
Martin described the moment he sensed something was wrong when Jill couldn’t find Thomas. “I realized one of the rooms in the outbuilding was locked… I had to break the door down,” he said, his voice filled with emotion. “I would have difficulty explaining to you what it was like without crying.”
Toxicology reports revealed caffeine and small traces of zopiclone in Thomas’s system, alongside the absence of his prescribed antidepressants.
During the interview, Jill and Martin highlighted two critical changes they hope to see following their “horrendous experience.” Jill explained, “We’d love for something good to come out of it. Firstly, we believe that anyone prescribed SSRIs should sign a document confirming they’ve been informed about potential side effects, including the risks of discontinuation, which in extreme cases can lead to suicidal thoughts.”
She added, “Secondly, we’d like to see a system where a spouse, partner, parent, or close friend is involved in the process—perhaps even present when this acknowledgment is signed—to provide support throughout.”
Thomas’s widow, Lady Gabriella Kingston, echoed these sentiments during an inquest in December. In her statement, read by senior Gloucestershire coroner Katy Skerrett, Lady Gabriella said, “Given the lack of any prior signs, it seems highly likely to me that he experienced an adverse reaction to the medication, which led to his tragic decision. I believe that anyone prescribed such medication should be made fully aware of the potential side effects to prevent future tragedies. If this could happen to Tom, it could happen to anyone.”
