Financial adviser ‘took his life over honest mistake’

A SUCCESSFUL financial adviser took his own life after fearing he would lose his 20-year career over an “honest mistake”, an inquest has heard.

James Bedingfield, a senior director at Investec Wealth and Investment, was left unable to sleep after an investigation was launched in November into his dealings with an outside client.

On Nov 16, two weeks after the investigation began, Mr Bedingfield, 45, was off work when he phoned police and family members in what was described as a “cry for help”.

Chesterfield coroners’ court heard that Mr Bedingfield made several frantic calls, however officers who headed to his location were pulled back after his partner of 12 years, Andrea Owenova, alerted police that a shotgun was missing from the safe at their home.

It then took armed units six hours to arrive, by which point Mr Bedingfield had taken his life.

Speaking about the phone calls, Pc Michael Maughan told the inquest: “I believe that it was a cry for help and that he may not have wanted to go through with it.”

James Harvey, representing Mr Bedingfield’s family, said they had concerns over the police’s handling of the incident and the apparent delays in reaching the vulnerable man.

The inquest heard Mr Bedingfield became the subject of an investigation after sending documents to a man linked to the transfer of former British Steel pensions, who was not registered with the Financial Services Authority.

In a statement, Ms Owenova said: “He’d sent some paperwork to a client which he should not have done. It was an honest mistake.

“After that he began to doubt himself … He was worried what other people would think of him. At times he was crying and shaking which was not like James at all.”

The inquest was subsequently adjourned and the coroner will give his conclusion when it resumes.