A career criminal the police believe murdered two half-brothers before shooting himself, left a tape with his solicitor outlining allegations of a contract on his life, an inquest has heard.

Jeremy Earls, 34, was found dead in the back seat of a car parked up a farm track at Kelby near Sleaford in Lincolnshire on 8 August 2001.

Three days earlier, police had found the bodies of Andrew Walker, 26, and his half-brother Alex Woodcraft, 17, at a flat in Lincoln.

Mr Earls' mother Louise Dytam told the inquest at Lincoln Castle her son's behaviour had become "more and more bizarre and paranoid" in the months before his death.

Jeremy said if he was found dead it would be made to look like suicide

Louise Dytam, Mr Earls' mother

In a written statement, Mrs Dytam that after an incident with a gun at a house in Lincoln in November 1999, her son became "obsessed with clearing his name".

She said he eventually became convinced his girlfriend Samantha Franklin had helped set him up.

Mrs Dytam said: "He had various interviews with police in Lincolnshire, with the Police Complaints Authority, MI5 and various newspapers, and built up a substantial file."

She said her son moved to Cornwall with Ms Franklin, but returned to Lincoln.

She added: "He genuinely believed his life was in danger."

He would park his car a long way from his house and walk there wearing a blonde wig, glasses and a baseball cap as a disguise.

Mrs Dytam said: "Jeremy said if he was found dead it would be made to look like suicide."

A tape he left outlining allegations of a contract on his life will be played to the inquest on Thursday.

Crossbow fired

Ms Franklin told the court Mr Earls' behaviour changed after he had part of his bowel removed in 1998.

She said he became obsessed with guns and knives and was convinced someone was out to kill him.

In October 1999 he fired a crossbow at her, puncturing her arm, although she did not need medical treatment.

At one point she broke down as she recounted how he had repeatedly pointed a gun at her head.

After the incident in November 1999 they moved to Cornwall but eventually came back to Lincoln and then split up.

Repeatedly throttled

She said that on 9 February 2001 she went to his flat in Lincoln.

Ms Franklin said: "As soon as I got inside he told me my mobile phone would not work because he had a phone jammer.

"I tried to humour him."

She said he then held her captive for 14 hours, tied her up, gagged her and repeatedly throttled her into unconsciousness.

Eventually he let her go and she said she had never reported the incident to police.

'Self-inflicted'

Earlier, the inquest heard a statement from Mr Earls' GP in Cambridge that Mr Earls had requested counselling for anxiety with regard to the police.

The court also heard from pathologist Dr Clive Bouch, who carried out all three post-mortem examinations.

He said: "There is always a possibility that someone else could have done it.

"The overall picture is very much that of a self-inflicted injury."

Head wounds

Dr Bouch said tests had shown a "substantial amount" of drugs including paracetemol and diazepam in his blood.

Earls was found with a single bullet wound to the head and an Uzi machine pistol in his hand.

Mr Walker had been shot once at close range and Mr Woodcraft had two bullet wounds to the head.

Mr Earls had been involved in a council flat swap with Mr Walker a few months before the deaths but there was no apparent motive for the killings.

The inquest continues.