Additional reporting by Sean McPolin

A tree surgeon in financial difficulties strangled, stabbed and hit his wife with a hammer before taking his own life.

Police and paramedics were called to a residential street just after midday on February 23 where they discovered two people dead.

Richard Parks, 63, and “ray of sunshine” Suratchanee ‘Lat’ Parks, 53, were found with several injuries inside the first-floor bathroom at their home in Montgomery Road, Tunbridge Wells.

When officers arrived, there was a large pool of blood in the downstairs kitchen and bloodstains on the stairs and in every room of the three-storey house.

Neighbours described the couple as quiet and people who “kept themselves to themselves”, as well as the horrifying screams of a “hysterical woman” after the discovery of the couple.

One woman, who didn’t want to be named, said: “Lat was very sweet and kind. And Richard was always very friendly.

“We never had a problem with them for the two years they were here.”

Mr Parks, who owned multiple businesses, including a gardening and tree surgeon company, was lying on the floor, with his legs in the hallway, covered in blood. His cause of death was given as stab wounds to the neck.

His wife, who worked at a nail bar and Thai massage parlour, was found in the bath with her legs drawn up, lying in a pool of blood.

Her employer, the London Nail Company which is based at the town’s Royal Victoria shopping centre, paid tribute to her after the tragic incident.

They posted on social media: “It is with an extremely heavy heart that we have to announce the passing of our lovely Lat.

“We are all deeply saddened by this loss. Lat was the most gentle, kindest soul, and she will be sorely missed.

“We are beyond saddened at this news and our hearts are truly broken. Lat was a little ray of sunshine and she put a smile on many people’s faces. She will be missed beyond words.”

Two separate inquests into their deaths were held at Oakwood House in Maidstone on Wednesday.

Pathologist Dr Virginia Fitzpatrick-Swallow said Mrs Parks had suffered neck wounds consistent with being strangled by a hand or arm.

Her torso had been compressed, possibly by Mr Parks sitting on her.

She had deep incisions on her wrists, stab wounds in her neck and had suffered a number of heavy blows to her head, consistent with attacks by a claw hammer which was found near her body. Her skull had been fractured.

‘Only those two will ever know exactly what happened...’

She also had other minor injuries which the pathologist said were consistent with defensive wounds as she tried to fight off her attacker.

Some of the injuries - the stab wounds to her neck - had bled little, suggesting they were delivered after she was already dead.

Her husband had also suffered blunt force trauma injuries to his face and nose, most likely from the claw hammer, as well as stab wounds to the neck and abdomen.

He was found with a knife in his right hand.

Dr Fitzpatrick-Swallow said that Mr Parks had a pre-existing heart condition that meant his body was unable to fight the injuries he had sustained.

The couple had met in Thailand, where Mrs Parks already had a son, but they moved to the UK.

They were living in rented accommodation, but had recently bought a house in Thailand where they had hoped to retire the following year.

Mrs Parks had no relatives in court, but her son, niece, and other family members joined the inquest by web-link and had the proceedings relayed to them via an interpreter. Mr Parks’s brother and family were in court.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Jessica Summers said prior to the tragedy, their marriage had been described as “happy and without problems”.

However, a few weeks earlier, Mr Parks had been presented with a large tax bill from HMRC.

Family members said how he had become very stressed about this and was anxious and pre-occupied and “struggling with his mental health”.

He said the planned move to Thailand was now likely to be delayed because of his financial problems, and his wife had been upset as she had been really looking forward to the move.

She was also concerned that because of their money problems, they were going to have to quit their home and move in with Mr Parks’s father

On the day of their deaths, relatives had gone to the house, concerned for the couple’s welfare.

Police attended and found blood stains on the kitchen floor, the dishwasher, the hallway and stairs, and on a sofa and carpet in the living room.

There was blood on a silver metal photo-frame which had been turned facedown. It contained pictures of the couple. A red folder was also found on the hall floor had a large sum of cash in £10 and £20 notes spilling out of it, as well as two coats at the foot of the stairs covered in a large pool of blood.

A blood splatter analyst concluded there had been a bloody assault in the kitchen area and at some time, somebody had moved around the house and had attempted to clean themselves up in the kitchen.

There had also been a heavily bloodstained movement between the kitchen and the bathroom on the first floor.

The pathologist said it was not possible to determine the order of the injuries sustained by Mrs Parks, other than the wounds to her neck had been delivered after her death or as she was dying.

Her strangulation, slashed wrists and the blows to her head, were all capable of killing her.

Police had found a chainsaw and pruning saw in the bathroom, as well as a hammer and knife.

DC Summers added the police had concluded Mrs Parks was unlawfully killed by her husband, who subsequently took his own life.

She said they were satisfied there was no third-party involvement as there was no sign of forced entry, doors to the house had been locked on arrival, and there was no blood trail leading away from the property.

Mr Parks’s brother, Robert Parks, who is also a director in Parks Garden and Fencing Ltd, asked the pathologist whether any DNA testing had been done on his sister-in-law’s fingernails as he said: “If she were fighting for her life, she might have scratched her assailant.”

But Dr Fitzpatrick-Swallow said no test had been done because her fingers were so badly stained with her own blood that any sample would have been compromised.

Robert Parks also stressed to the inquest that his brother had not entirely given up on going to Thailand; he was still hoping to go once he had sorted out his financial affairs.

DC Summers said prior to the attack, Richard Parks had taken steps to set his affairs in order.

He had made changes to his will just two days before and he had handed a folder of important documents and the combination to safe to his sister.

Coroner Roger Hatch concluded that Mrs Parks was unlawfully killed and that Richard Parks had taken his own life.

Robert Parks said: “This is a terribly sad situation. Only those two will ever know exactly what happened.

“They loved each other very much and he was looking forward to going to Thailand - it’s just terribly sad for both families.”

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