Tinnitus sufferer shot himself dead 'to stop the screaming in his ears'

A grandfather who was tormented by the 'screaming in his ears' as a result of chronic tinnitus shot himself in the head, an inquest heard.

Roy Sullivan's medical condition, where sufferers hear a constant ringing in their ear, had been getting progressively worse.

The 74-year-old was found with gunshot wounds by his wife at their home in Essex when she returned from visiting their grandson on his 14th birthday in January.

No peace: Roy Sullivan was tormented by the 'screaming in his ears' as a result of chronic tinnitus shot himself in the head, an inquest heard (picture posed by model)

Eileen Sullivan told the hearing: 'Roy was such a peaceful, quiet man. He just couldn't stand the noise. He liked to be quiet. If I had the radio on and I went out, he would turn it off because he just wanted to be quiet.'



On the morning of his death, Mr Sullivan had looked pale and had complained to his wife that his tinnitus had been really bad during the night.

What is tinnitus? Tinnitus sufferers hear a persistent noise in one or both ears that comes from inside the body. The irritating sound can be low or high-pitched and can vary from buzzing to ringing. It is a common condition short-term, with one in seven people experiencing the symptom – often after a cold or listening to loud music. However, long-term tinnitus affects around one in 100 people. The condition can be very debilitating, causing poor concentration, sleeping problems and depression. The exact cause cannot always be found, but hearing damage, a middle-ear infection, anaemia and build-up of wax are all possible contributors. Stress has been found to often make the symptoms worse. Treatments include sound therapy – to mask the tinnitus with relaxing music - as well as counselling to come to terms with the symptoms. There is no known cure.

'When he woke up he just held his head and said it was screaming in his ears.'



He said he didn't want to go out so she travelled without him to Suffolk with the 14th birthday cake she had baked.

When she returned home Mrs Sullivan found a note from her husband in the kitchen.



She went to the chicken shed at the bottom of the garden and found him with head injuries and a gun by his side, Chelmsford Coroner's Court heard.

Essex coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray was told that Mr Sullivan had a history of hypertension and tinnitus which had become worse prior to his death.

A post-mortem examination stated that Mr Sullivan died from severe head injuries due to gunshot wounds.

The coroner recorded a verdict that he killed himself while the balance of his mind was disturbed.

She said he was clearly suffering distress due to the tinnitus and that it was 'clearly getting him down'.

