Inquest finds four-time national motorcycling champion took his own life

BMW Group image of Keith Farmer, cleared for copyright
The father of two was said to be struggling since his retirement from motorcycling. Credit: BMW Group

An inquest has found that four-time national motorcycling champion Keith Farmer took his own life.

Dr Nicholas Shaw, Assistant Coroner, ruled that considerable stress due to the breakdown of a relationship and his retirement from motorcycling which he loved was one of the contributing factors.

Dr Shaw said: "The outcome was unpredictable. There were two major factors, difficulty at home and his retirement from motorcycling.

"My belief that the combination of those two things snapped on that particular evening."

Mr Farmer, known as the "Clogher bullet", died on Thursday 10 November, prompting an outpouring of tributes from his family and the motorsport community.

The 35-year-old won the British Superstock 600cc championship in 2011 and went on to win the Superstock 1000cc title in both 2012 and 2018.

In 2017 he claimed the British Supersport crown before retiring in September 2021.

The inquest heard that Mr Farmer had been with his partner for eight years and had a happy relationship with his two children.

The inquest heard that since his retirement from his career in professional motorcycling he felt lost. There were no drugs or alcohol detected in his blood sample. 


Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...