Russ Foster-Jones, 51, a former RAF Group Captain who once led the Royal Air Force Police, died by suicide while under investigation for misconduct, an inquest has heard, with the coroner criticising aspects of the inquiry’s management as “flawed.”
A former senior RAF officer took his own life while under investigation for alleged misconduct, an inquest has heard. Russ Foster-Jones, 51, was found dead at an Airbnb in Churchtown, Lancashire, in June 2025, roughly a year after a complaint was made against him in April 2024. Foster-Jones had served in the Royal Air Force for around 30 years, rising to the rank of Group Captain and serving as Provost Marshal, the head of the Royal Air Force Police, before leaving the service to join BAE Systems in 2023. The inquest, held at County Hall in Preston, did not disclose the specific details of the allegations against him.
The investigation
The complaint against Foster-Jones was investigated by the Service Police Complaints Commissioner (SPCC), an independent body responsible for examining complaints made within the RAF. He was first contacted by investigators in November 2024 and was later interviewed under caution at Lancashire Police headquarters in Hutton. Months afterwards, he was told the investigation was almost complete, only for it to be suspended before reaching a conclusion. The SPCC probe remained incomplete at the time of his death, having been paused before investigators reached a final decision.
His wife’s evidence
In a statement read to the court, his widow, Emma Foster-Jones, described her husband as “a good man with a strong sense of duty,” adding that he was “deeply affected by the suggestion that he had done something wrong.” The couple married in 1997 and lived abroad together throughout much of his RAF career.
Mrs Foster-Jones told the inquest that her husband had been anxious about the investigation and had sought support from his employer. He spoke to a psychotherapist provided by BAE Systems about feeling depressed and anxious, but after ten sessions told them he no longer required further support. Evidence heard at the inquest showed he had continued working throughout the investigation while seeking professional mental health support.
The days before his death
On 18 June 2025, Foster-Jones sent a timed text message to a friend stating that he had taken his own life. Police attended his address and found him alive; he told officers he was feeling better and was not a danger to himself. The following day, however, emergency services were called to an Airbnb in Churchtown, Lancashire, where he was found to have died.
Coroner’s findings
Area coroner Emma Mather questioned the SPCC during the inquest about the timescale of the investigation and the safeguarding procedures in place for those under investigation. She raised concerns about the length of time taken to examine the allegations and questioned whether adequate welfare measures had been in place to support Foster-Jones during the process.
Recording a conclusion of suicide, Ms Mather said that while aspects of the investigation’s management were “flawed,” there was insufficient evidence to determine that delays in the process directly caused or contributed to his death. Following the inquest, the coroner confirmed there would be no Prevention of Future Deaths report, stating there was insufficient evidence that further action could have prevented the tragedy.
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