Peter McGarvey, a financial adviser known for recommending a controversial tax-avoidance scheme to high-profile clients, died by suicide in September 2015, according to an inquest held at Nottingham Coroner’s Court. McGarvey, who advised individuals including former footballer Gary Lineker and athlete Paula Radcliffe, injected himself with a lethal dose of drugs while staying at the Belmond Miraflores Park hotel in Lima, Peru.

McGarvey had helped clients invest in Ingenious Media’s film-financing scheme, which initially received approval from Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and offered substantial tax breaks by allowing investors to become directors of companies that funded various film projects. Productions such as "Avatar" and "Life of Pi" were among those financed through Ingenious. However, HMRC later reversed its stance, classifying the scheme as tax avoidance and demanding repayment of taxes from investors.

The adviser’s friends and family said McGarvey became deeply depressed after the change in HMRC’s position. At the time, many clients, including Lineker, faced demands to repay millions in taxes. In 2012, HMRC’s then-director Dave Hartnett labeled such schemes as "scams for scumbags," reflecting the agency’s intensified efforts to challenge the arrangements. McGarvey reportedly felt that his professional reputation was under threat, with one close acquaintance describing how the tax scrutiny made McGarvey’s work appear fraudulent.

The tragic circumstances surrounding McGarvey’s death emerged following public scrutiny of Lineker, who came under criticism for his involvement in the Ingenious scheme and was later accused of hypocrisy after signing an open letter with 100 other millionaires urging the government to increase taxes. Lineker had previously won an appeal against a nearly £5 million tax bill related to the scheme, although he denied receiving a reported HMRC demand for £1.3 million in unpaid taxes.

During the inquest, coroner Ivan Cartwright reviewed evidence including an email McGarvey sent from Peru a day before his death, in which the adviser expressed regret about the quality of advice he had given some clients. Similar concerns were conveyed to his ex-wife, Sally McGarvey. Prior to his passing, McGarvey had arranged for neighbors in his Nottinghamshire village to sign his will, underscoring the tragic deterioration of his mental state.

McGarvey’s death highlights the personal toll that complex financial and legal disputes can have on advisers caught between client interests and evolving regulatory enforcement. Attempts to reach representatives for both Gary Lineker and Ingenious Media for comment were unsuccessful.