A high-ranking Army officer with a distinguished military career killed himself as he was about to be arrested for "disgraceful conduct".

The day before Col Henry Quinn was due to surrender himself to police, his body was found in empty married quarters at Didcot Ordnance Depot.

Oxford coroner Nicholas Gardiner was told Col Quinn, a father-of-three, strangled himself after leaving two letters to his wife, telling her of his intentions.

At the time of his death last November, Army sources revealed he had been accused of molesting a 17-year-old youth. He had been confronted by the alleged victim's father.

Col Quinn, who had been selected for promotion to the rank of Brigadier on a £70,000-a-year salary, was working in the pay section of the Adjutant-General's Corps in Worthy Down in Hampshire, responsible for issuing pay cheques to Army personnel. Pc David Porter, serving with Thames Valley Police Family Protection Unit, said Col Quinn had called at Abingdon police station with his parish priest on November 7 and spoken to a woman officer.

The coroner asked him if the colonel had been involved in disgraceful conduct. Pc Porter said this was true.

Through his solicitor, Col Quinn had been told to go to the police station on November 30 but never turned up.

Pc Ron Eaton of the MoD police, stationed at the Vauxhall Barracks in Didcot that night, said he found Col Quinn's body slumped forward in a chair.

Col Quinn's widow Brigid, 42, said their marriage had been normal until early November when people had come to see her and made allegations about her husband's conduct, and because of his attitude, she formed the belief there was something in them. Their relationship became strained, and after they had talked to a priest, she and her husband had voluntarily gone to see the police.

On November 29, she arrived home from work and found two identical letters signed by her husband which indicated he could be found at the address nearby.

Dr Nicholas Hunt, consultant pathologist at the John Radcliffe Hospital, said Col Quinn had died of pressure on the neck due to the ligature.

Mr Gardiner recorded a verdict that Col Quinn took his own life.

Story date: Thursday 23 March

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