A British man who slaughtered his family in Gibraltar before turning the knife on himself had left messages expressing his intention to take his own life .

An earlier inquest into the death of John Joseph Shannon heard he had taken a cocktail of drugs and steroids before he stabbed his wife, Anarda de la Caridad Perez Friman, 31, and their six-week-old daughter Eve in March 2015.

Shannon, originally from Llandudno, also killed his wife’s daughter from a previous relationship, Amanda Kristofferson, aged four.

Post-mortem examinations of the mother and her two daughters showed they had all died from stab wounds to the heart, the Daily Post reported .

At a second inquest into the death of in Ruthin yesterday, Nicola Jones, assistant coroner for North East Wales said she would deal only with the death of the 32-year-old.

“I will not overlay with any other issues that don’t specifically relate to John Joseph Shannon himself,” she said.

Mr Shannon’s cause of death was recorded as an incised wound to the neck caused by a sharp bladed weapon.

He also had other injuries to his chest, back and left wrist which were believed to have been “self-inflicted.



The deaths were certified on March 30, 2015 but rigamortis had set in and no indication was given as to exactly when they may have died.

Recording a conclusion of suicide, Ms Jones said: “I’ve had sight of messages that leave me in no doubt that in the days prior to the discovery he indicated an intention to take his own life.”

The content of the messages were not disclosed at the hearing, which was attended by relatives of Mr Shannon.

At the time of the slayings, Andalucian newspaper The Olive Press reported the bodies were discovered at a rented home in the Boschetti’s Steps area of the British Overseas Territory, owned by a friend.

Shannon suffered ‘extreme paranoia’, delusions and a severe mental disorder, due to drug and steroid use, clinical psychologist Adrian West told Gibraltar’s coroner’s court.

It has also emerged Shannon believed the outside world ‘thought he was a paedophile’, and he was being pursued by hit men colluding with the police and his partner.

The court heard how Shannon had a string of criminal convictions including GBH and burglary and just last year was arrested for growing cannabis at his Estepona home.

It was also revealed Shannon fled to Spain after skipping bail in the UK for another drugs-related offence in 2009.

He had seemingly been planning to return and hand himself in, having reportedly sorted out documents for his dog to travel.

The Gibraltar inquest heard how Shannon, nicknamed ‘John Nazi’ where he grew up in Llandudno, had high levels of testosterone in his urine indicating he was under the influence of steroids.

Forensic tests also revealed he had also been smoking cannabis and drinking beer.

Anarda was found in the bedroom with a pillow over her face, covered in stab wounds and there were signs of struggle.

Pathologist Dr Nathaniel Carey described how she was likely attacked twice and had a total of 12 stab marks to her chest.

Both children – described as “well-looked after little girls” – were found in the living room.

Baby Eve was found on a bed and died after a “single episode”, Amanda was discovered on a duvet on the floor with “defensive wounds” on her hands and arms and 13 stab wounds.

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