Husband takes his own life after wife’s suicide
A husband who was meant to give evidence at an inquest into his wife’s death hanged himself in grief.
Jacqueline Ratcliff had taken her own life with prescribed drugs and husband John killed himself four months later, an inquest heard.
Rachel Redman, Central and South East Kent Coroner, concluded suicide in both cases.
She said: “This is a tragic situation. I had arranged to close the inquest on Mrs Ratcliff when I heard that Mr Ratcliff had died. I had intended for him to be a witness.
“It seems to me he was devastated by the loss of his wife and saw no reason to live.”
Mrs Ratcliff, 57, had been found dead at her New Romney home in January.
She was crippled with fibromyalgia, which causes widespread pain and fatigue.
Mr Ratcliff became her sole carer over her last four years.
She also had a history of nervous depression.
The week before her death her husband said he was leaving the house to take his own life and when she argued to stop him he assaulted her and was arrested.
DS Stuart Ward said Mrs Ratcliff refused to make a statement against her husband, who was released without charge and the allegation against him had been classed as low level.
The next week Mrs Ratcliff was found dead in bed with handwritten goodbye letters.
A pathologist said fatal doses of morphine and a sedative had been taken.