Celebrity gangster Dave Courtney made a failed attempt to kill himself three months before shooting himself in the head at his London home, a coroner’s court has heard.
The 64-year-old was battling prostate cancer and chronic arthritis - causing him ‘severe pain’ – when he took his own life with a 9mm pistol on October 22.
At the opening of the inquest into his death on Wednesday, coroner Dr Julian Morris heard Mr Courtney had filmed a series of eight videos on his mobile phone hours before his death, making clear his intentions and saying goodbye relatives including his son, daughter, and ex-wife.
Police also recovered a five-minute video from July, when the reformed gangster explained that he intended to take his own life.
Detective Superintendent James Robinson told the court: “It is my understanding that was a failed suicide attempt from July.
“In that he details a cancer diagnosis and details he was in severe pain with arthritis.”
Mr Courtney, a Bermondsey-born gangster, claimed to have been shot, stabbed and had his nose almost bitten off in brushes with his rivals. He is said to have been the inspiration for Vinnie Jones’ character ‘Big Chris’ in the film ‘Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.’
In 2000 he was cleared by an Old Bailey jury of involvement in a plot to plant cocaine on an innocent woman.
He was found dead in the early hours of October 22 at his home in Plumstead, dubbed Camelot Castle.
Opening the inquest, the coroner said: “Police were called on Sunday 22 October at approximately 11:26 am to 18 Chestnut Rise, SE18 which was Mr Courtney’s home.
“The police were called by a friend who had found Mr Courtney with a gunshot wound.”
Mr Courtney had seemed “happy and chirpy” on 21 October after watching his beloved Charlton beat Reading 4-0 at the Valley with two friends, the court heard.
They went to the pub before watching England lose to South Africa in the semi final of the Rugby World Cup at Mr Courtney’s home.
Det Supt Robinson said a friend heard Mr Courtney talking on the phone at 3.30am, and another friend, Brendan McGirr, discovered his body at 10:30am the next morning after entering his bedroom to ask if he wanted a cup of tea.
“They called various family members because they decided before the police arrived, they wanted close family to have the last minutes with Mr Courtney”, said the officer.
“After they arrived the police were then called.
“Detectives attended the scene, and the initial thoughts were not suspicious but unexplained and to be investigated.
“The primary concern was although they recovered a firearm, they have not recovered the casing.”
In a three-day search of the three-bedroom home, it was found Mr Courtney had collected up to 70 firearms which had been decommissioned or fired blanks only during his career in film and television.
A preliminary post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the head.
A full inquest is expected to take place on a later date.
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