An inquest has opened into the death of a man who police believe carried out a fatal shooting at a Kent pub.

Lisa Smith was shot dead in the car park of The Three Horseshoes at Knockholt near Sevenoaks on Valentine’s Day, February 14.

Police said they believed that her husband, Edward Smith, also known as Edvard Stockings, was her killer, but he was believed to have gone into the River Thames after the 43-year-old’s car was found abandoned on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at Dartford.

Today (Thursday), coroner Alan Blunsden opened an inquest into the death of Mr Smith, whose body was recovered from the river on March 7.

A member of the public, who was out for a walk, sat down on a bench at Coldharbour Lane, Rainham, in Essex. He spotted something in the water at a distance and used binoculars to identify it as a body.

Police were called and marine units were able to recover the body as it washed in towards the shore.

The body was identified as that of Smith, whose address was given as Royal Oak Park, Walton Lane, Farnham Royal in Slough, Berkshire, although he was originally from Reigate in Surrey.

It was confirmed that he was the husband of Lisa Anne Smith, the victim.

There were no apparent injuries to his torso, but he had received a massive head trauma, which was the cause of death.

The coroner adjourned the inquest until September 17, to be held at Oakwood House in Maidstone.

Mr and Mrs Smith are believed to have been members of the traveller community.

Previously, police had said that they thought Mrs Smith had travelled to Kent to visit family and friends.

She had been drinking inside the pub, but when she came out, she was shot with an illegal handgun. Four shots were fired with two causing fatal injuries.

An inquest into her death has already been opened and also adjourned until September 17.

A friend of the couple, Leslie Thompson, has said that Smith had rung him on the night of the shooting and confessed to the murder.

He told Mr Thompson: “Les, I love you, your wife and kids, and I'll see you on the other side, and I'm going to die.”