Dad of four Geoffrey Curtis tried to commit suicide with his own gun because he was in £40, 000 worth of debt.

Curtis, 46, of The Butts, Westbury, tried to take his own life with his Magnum 357 pistol near The Butts on March 9.

Chippenham Magistrates’ Court heard how Curtis became depressed after he lost his job as a slaughterman, which left his wife to support their four children, two of which are still in full-time education, with only her part-time job.

Edward Moore, defending, described Curtis as a family man who had never been in trouble before. He said: “He was out of work and owed about £40,000. He was under severe pressure because of the financial situation.

“He felt he could not take anymore and the only solution was suicide.”

Mr Moore told the court how Curtis took the pistol, which has six chambers, two of which were blocked off, from the gun cabinet in his bedroom and walked from The Butts to the plain where he sat down.

But as he was about to pull the trigger he looked up and saw a young deer and decided not to go through with it.

Curtis then walked to Devizes police station in New Park Street to hand himself in. He was arrested under the mental health act and for having a firearm in a public place.

Police later searched the property and removed all guns and ammunition from the house, for which he held a legitimate license.

Moore said prior to the incident his defendant posted a message on the internet saying he was depressed and wrote a letter to his wife outlining his intentions.

“The only person who was going to suffer harm was Mr Curtis directly and his family who he would leave behind.

“Since his charge and release he has been in contact with the crisis team and has now been passed on by them to the mental health team at Shearwater Lodge in Warminster.

“He won’t be able to get a firearms certificate again for some time which means he can’t get back to the only employment he knows.”

At Friday's hearing magistrate Leighfield described the incident as very sad.

Before sentencing Curtis he added: “We don’t believe you intended any harm to anyone else.

“We see that you have lost your whole livelihood and we can understand why that effected you.

“You are already taking steps with regards to the mental health issues.”

Curtis was given a conditional discharge for two years and the pistol and ammunition were ordered to be destroyed.

He was not ordered to pay costs due to his financial situation.