The coroner in Michael Sellers’ case has ruled that he killed himself after murdering Gracie Spinks, a former colleague who had rejected him romantically. Sellers committed suicide on the same day that he murdered Spinks in Duckmanton, Derbyshire, on 18 June 2021. Following an inquest at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court, the coroner concluded that Sellers’ suicide was a result of removing himself from any accountability for his actions towards Spinks. He added that the murder was not a spur of the moment act of violence, but rather a premeditated and carefully planned attack that showed an alarming level of violence.
In his findings, the coroner stated that Sellers had previously harassed multiple other female colleagues before he became obsessed with Spinks. His behaviour was characterised by an inability to understand how to behave towards his female colleagues. The coroner described him as lacking even a shred of insight into his own behaviour and how he made those women feel. Spinks had politely told Sellers that she did not want to see him again romantically, but he became utterly obsessed with her, continuing to harass her and abuse his power over her.
Sellers was sacked from Xbite, an e-commerce firm in Chesterfield, in early 2021 after Spinks complained about his behaviour. He then bought knives online on 11 March with the intention of killing Spinks and laid in wait for her arrival at the stables where she kept her horse in Duckmanton. After killing her, he headed towards a nearby field, where he was later found dead.
Detective Constable Denise Sandall, who investigated Spinks’ murder and Sellers’ death, said that he seemed to have had a normal upbringing. However, he spent a lot of time with his family and didn’t appear to have any close friends or girlfriend. The inquest heard he had no known history of violence before he killed Spinks
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