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Samurai sword expert killed himself in act of ‘seppuku’ in his bedroom
Richard Hartley-Parkinson for Metro.co.ukFriday 15 Dec 2017 9:59 am


Alun Jones was a samurai sword expert who worked in Japan (Picture: Wales News Service)

A samurai sword expert took his own life using his weapon in the traditional act of seppuku. Alun Jones, 51, was found by his mother Margaret on the floor of his bedroom covered in blood. Mrs Jones said that he was lying on top of his sword with his arms above his head after killing himself while visiting her during a regular trip back to the UK from Japan where he sold samurai swords. An inquest heard that he was ‘not his usual self’ during his trip back to Newport, south Wales. His sister Marianne Caulfield said: ‘For many years he had lived abroad and when he came home he would go out visiting friends. He impaled himself on his own samurai sword in his bedroom during a trip to see his family (Picture: Wales News Service) ‘But this time he had lost weight and spent most of his time in his bedroom. He had a collection of samurai swords and had developed an interest in the samurai tradition.’ A few hours before he was found dead he was seen by a neighbour asleep on a sofa with an open book of family photos next to him. Man arrested after slamming car through railing and into basement of home DC Rhys Williams told the inquest that Mr Jones had a passion for samurai swords. He had sent them to a specialist in London for work to be done on them and had received them back shortly before killing himself. The inquest heard that Mr Jones had died from lacerations to the heart and liver after stabbing himself in the stomach. Gwent senior coroner David Bowen said: ‘He had a collection of samurai swords which he sent to a specialist in London and had been returned days before he was found dead. ‘He was found with the samurai sword underneath his body and I am satisfied it was self inflicted. ‘In Japan the samurai tradition is called hara kiri. In this country it is suicide.’

What is seppuku? Seppuku is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment using a samurai sword. It is seen as an ‘honourable’ death rather than falling into the hands of the enemy or is carried out because someone has brought shame upon themselves. It can also be known as harakiri, which literally translates as ‘cutting the stomach’. 

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