UK high street giant, 51, found dead by cleaners in horror discovery | UK | News
The multimillionaire, who owned a private equity firm that controlled several high street brands including Majestic Wine and Poundstretcher, was found dead following a dispute with his wife, an inquest heard.
Joshua Pack, 51, was found by cleaners in a locked upstairs bedroom of his rented mansion in St John’s Wood, Westminster, London, just hours after a fight with his wife Jacqueline. The couple were moving to the UK from their US home to oversee the expansion of $50bn (£37bn) investment giant Fortress.
In a written statement to the inquest, Ms Pack said she and her husband of 28 years had been “rowing all night” before his death, “after drinking occasionally throughout the day”.
She said: “We were high school sweethearts. Josh was a devout Catholic who worked hard to support me and the kids, who were the most important things in his life. But as with any long-term marriage, there were tensions.”
Ms Pack said the dispute began as she was walking home after her husband learned via PA that there were problems with his tickets for the flight back to the US, which he had been trying to put forward to travel with his wife. When they returned to the mansion, the fight soon escalated and she saw Mr. Pack throw his “phone across the room” and begin “hitting her,” she said.
Things got worse when Josh “went to the cupboard and pulled out a knife” and then handed it to Ms Pack and said: “Stick me.”
The pair later threatened to take their own lives, but noted that this was a common occurrence during their fights, adding: “I never meant it and I certainly didn’t think Josh meant it.”
During the investigation, it was learned that the man was found dead by the house staff around 15:00 the next day. Prof Wilcox, of Inner West London Coroner’s Court, concluded the death was the result of misfortune.
