HEARTBROKEN relatives may never know why a loving father murdered his partner and their daughters before turning the gun on himself, a coroner has said.
Robert Needham, 42, used a legally held shotgun to kill Ava, four, and Lexi, two, at close range on Sunday, March 29, 2020.
Kelly Fitzgibbons, 40, suffered a defensive shotgun blast to her arm before a fatal shot to her head.
The family dog Billy was also killed with the shotgun bought by Needham only days before.
In her conclusions at the inquest in Horsham, coroner Bridget Dolan QC apologised to the families saying she was sorry the inquest had not answered the single biggest question.
She praised the remarkable dignity and composure shown by Kelly's family, who attended the inquest and said: “I’m so sorry this inquest has not been able to answer why this atrocity happened.”
Ms Dolan said the world had been robbed of those "two bright little girls who had so much promise".
Despite the lack of any explanation for the killings, it was abundantly clear Robert Needham had killed his family then himself at the converted farm building in Woodmancote, near Chichester, they shared with his mother.
Ms Dolan said: “The only person responsible for the deaths of his family is Robert Needham.”
The family were last seen by a delivery driver who brought takeaway food on the first Saturday night of the national covid lockdown in March 2020.
Needham took part in a family FaceTime call and nothing was out of the ordinary.
The family had what appeared to be an unremarkable first Saturday night in lockdown, the coroner said.
The girls got into their parents' bed, where their bodies were found the next day.
Kelly’s phone was still plugged in beside the bed.
The coroner said it was impossible to know the timing or order in which they were killed, only that Needham was last.
They were all shot from close range or with the muzzle of the gun in direct contact.
“Having brutally murdered his family, Robert took his own life,” Ms Dolan said.
She said: “The outstanding question is why these dreadful events happened.
“There’s an awful lot to speculate on but very little evidence.
“I’m very sorry for you there is no explanation.
“Everybody who investigated this tried to find one for you.
“We just cannot take this point any further.
“His own family said there was no plausible explanation for his diabolical actions and I agree with that."
Kelly and Needham were described as a loving couple who had been together for 14 years.
They had some personal debts but nothing unmanageable.
Kelly could still afford to have her hair and nails done and the family had two holidays planned.
“It didn’t appear they were facing crushing financial problems,” the coroner said.
Text messages in the two months leading up to lockdown showed there were tensions in their relationship, with Kelly raising the possibility they should take a break.
“However, there were no threats, no swearing, no sustained or lengthy argument,” the coroner said.
“At its highest, Kelly mentioned him being angry.
“Nothing to raise any suggestion of violence or provide any reason for the subsequent callous actions of Robert.”
His history of cocaine abuse was unlikely to have been a factor, the coroner concluded.
“We know he had taken cocaine recently and had tried to obtain it," she said.
“Withdrawals just doesn’t fit with the picture we have.”
Needham had been treated for depression although he had never been referred to a psychiatrist, the coroner said.
Hampshire and Sussex Police had shown a lack of investigative curiosity when considering Needham’s applications for a shotgun and firearms licence.
The coroner said even thought there are significant questions about the licensing procedure, further scrutiny of his applications would not have led to rejections.
It was heard that Needham had lied on the application forms and police should have investigated further.
The false statements were important but would not have led to his application being refused, the coroner said.
She said: “There was nothing that would of itself have justified the refusal of a licence to Robert.”
Police found six spent shotgun cartridges in the house after the bodies were found.
Emotional descriptions of both girls and their mother were read by the coroner.
Kelly’s identical twin Emma Ambler said they were inseparable sisters.
The inquest heard how Kelly wanted to be a mum more than anything.
Ms Ambler adapted her eulogy for the inquest.
She said: “People couldn’t tell us apart.
“Kelly loved school and, although not sporty, we could never be beaten in three legged race.
“She was an amazing sister and we were fiercely loyal to each other.
“No one made me laugh more.”
Kelly was said to have always had a positive outlook on life, even when their mother died when the twins were 15.
Kelly worked as a legal secretary after leaving school and was always very popular
Ms Ambler said: “Everybody would comment on her smile, kindness and her funny and caring nature.
“She was warm and loving and people naturally warmed to her.”
She said Kelly had longed for children and was thrilled when Ava was born.
Ms Ambler described the loss of her sister and nieces to the family as incomprehensible.
She called Ava a "beautiful, angelic little girl".
Ms Ambler said: “She was a chatterbox with an inner strength when she wanted it.”
She said that Lexi "had cheekiness all over her".
Adding: “Such a character, she greeted every day with energy and enthusiasm.
“We will never understand what happened and we will always feel blessed to have had them in our lives.”
Lexi was shot in the head and Ava was shot in the chest.
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