A flamboyant book dealer jailed for handling a stolen edition of Shakespeare’s first folio took his own life in prison, an inquest has heard.
Raymond Scott, from Wingate, County Durham, was serving an eight-year sentence when he was found dead in his cell.
The inquest at Berwick Magistrates’ Court heard the 55-year-old had severe wounds to his neck and was found with razorblades in his hand.
Scott, who prior to his conviction passed himself off as a wealthy playboy, had mentioned having suicidal thoughts in the weeks leading up to his death.
A letter by him was also found in his cell at HMP Northumberland saying he intended to kill himself.
Giving evidence, Detective Constable Sarah Snaith said: “At 8.05am on March 14, 2012, staff were on duty and they began unlocking the 14 cells on the landing.
“After a minute or so Mr Scott had not appeared, so they entered the cell and saw Mr Scott lying on his back on the bed but could not rouse him.
“They then saw blood on the top of his chest. An alarm was raised and a nurse attended.”
He was caught with the highly valuable folio, stolen from Durham University in 1998, when he took the 1623 work to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC, and asked for it to be authenticated.
Coroner Tony Brown recorded a verdict that Scott had taken his own life.