‘I have failed you’ sacked minister told family in note before he was found dead
A SACKED Welsh government minister found hanged at home left his family a letter saying “I have failed you”, an inquest heard yesterday.
Carl Sargeant, 49, lost his senior cabinet role and was suspended from the Labour Party over unsubstantiated, historic sexual misconduct claims.
His body was found by wife Bernadette on November 7 last year, just four days after Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones dismissed him.
The inquest in Ruthin, Denbighshire, heard that Mr Jones “fuelled the despair” of Mr Sargeant the day before he died by giving TV interviews about the allegations.
Father-of-two Mr Sargeant – who strenuously denied the claims – wrote to his wife, daughter and son: “To Bernie, Lucy, Jack. I have let you down badly. You deserve none of this adverse publicity. I have failed you.”
GP Dr David Morris told coroner John Gittins that the politician first suffered mental illness in 2012 after a family member’s illness.
In July 2016 he was put back on antidepressants. In 2017 Mr Sargeant was sacked from his cabinet role and suspended from his party over claims of “unwanted attention, inappropriate touching or groping”.
But former minister Leighton Andrews said TV interviews by First Minister Jones on November 6 worsened Mr Sargeant’s depression.
He said: “They had a significant impact on his state of mind. I was told they had fuelled his despair.”
The First Minister is due to give evidence at the inquest tomorrow.