Furloughed man took his own life

FAMILY HAS ‘NO IDEA WHY HE WOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING LIKE THIS’

AMAN who unexpectedly took his own life last summer had been struggling to adjust to a “change in routine” after being furloughed from his job during the coronavirus pandemic.

Gwynfor Roberts, 57, of Ciltrefnus, Gerlan, near Bethesda, was found hanging in his bedroom by his nephew on August 27.

The inquest into Mr Roberts’ death, held in Caernarfon, heard how he had been furloughed from his job as a slate miner following the announcement of the first nationwide lockdown in March last year.

His sisters, who attended the hearing, both said that having worked at Penrhyn Quarry for some 40 years he found this sudden change to his daily routine “difficult”.

He had returned to work for three days following furlough but then took the decision to retire.

His nephew, Dewi Wyn Roberts, lived with him at the above address where they and Mr Roberts’ brother cared for their mother, who suffers from dementia and also lived with them.

In a statement read out at the inquest he said: “Although he was my uncle, I considered him like a brother to me.

“I lived there with him, my other uncle Vaughan and my grandmother, and the three of us cared for her.

“We would take it in turns to look after her through the night and I came to take over from Gwynfor at around 11.40pm.

“We spoke for five or 10 minutes and he said he was tired.

“I said I’d see him in the morning but he just went up to bed.

“In the morning I could see that he wasn’t in his bed so I assumed that he must be using the toilet outside but when I went for a cigarette, he wasn’t there.

“I went back up to check and then I found him hanging from the airing cupboard.

“I have no idea why he would have done something like this.

“He was a quiet man but he seemed happy at home and he was very good at looking after my grandmother.

“He enjoyed being with family. “All he’s ever known is working in the quarry and after he retired he stopped going out and stopped going to the pub.

“I know he loved us all, especially my grandmother.”

Toxicology reports showed that Mr Roberts had no alcohol or drugs in his system at the time of his death.

Ruling Mr Roberts’ death as a suicide Acting Senior Coroner Katie Sutherland said: “Gwynfor Roberts took his own life by hanging.

“I am satisfied that there were no third party involvements and he died as a result of his own actions.

“There were no suicide notes and no indication that he would do anything like this but given the method used I am satisfied that his intention was for death to be the consequence.

“Sadly, not speaking out and not sharing feelings can be a common theme in suicide cases and I would encourage people around us to speak and seek help if we feel they’re struggling.

“It must have been a hard time for him, with lockdown and not working the lack of routine had played on his mind and he found it hard.

“Sadly there is no inquest that can answer every question about why these things sometimes happen.”

A FATHER and son have been jailed for assisting two deported men entering the UK through Holyhead port.

Viorel Harna senior and his son, Viorel Harna junior attempted to drive the men to Bangor after catching a ferry from Dublin to Holyhead on September 29 last year.

The Romanians, Huliu Cocarica and Lozlo Lacatus, were prevented from entering the UK having previously been made subject to deportation orders.

Caernarfon Crown Court heard Cocarica and Lacatus were detained, although it was not clear whether they were prosecuted, or just sent back to Ireland.

Harna senior, 38, and Harna junior, 20, both of Mac Uilliam Parade, Tallaght, Dublin, both admitted assisting entry into the UK in breach of a deportation order.

Judge Nicola Jones jailed Harna senior for 15 months and sentenced his son to 12 months at a young offenders institution at HMP Berwyn in Wrexham.

The judge said the date of Harna junior’s release would be “imminent”.