Corrie star’s son killed himself after his arrest
THE son of a Coronation Street actress killed himself after being arrested on suspicion of murdering his partner, an inquest heard.
David Palmer, 56, was found dead by a neighbour at his home on New Year’s Eve, less than two weeks after his partner, Carol Camm took her own life.
Mr Palmer, the son of actress Helene Palmer, who played Ida Clough in the soap, had been released under investigation after being arrested in relation to Miss Camm’s death.
An inquest into her death last month revealed she had taken her own life on Mr Palmer’s direction, after he became obsessed with the idea she had had an affair. After instructing her to ‘go do it,’ Miss Camm went to the other side of the room in the couple’s house in Buckton, Bridlington, Yorkshire, and hanged herself.
Mr Palmer was sitting watching the television just 10ft away and later told police he didn’t notice until he started talking and she didn’t reply.
A coroner yesterday returned a conclusion of suicide in the death of Mr Palmer, who also hanged himself. The inquest heard David, a handy-man for the council, had started drinking heavily after Miss Camm’s death on December 19 last year.
After he was arrested for her murder, he told people he was going to take his own life. On New Year’s Day, a neighbour became concerned for his welfare and called police. Officers found his body face down in his living room.
A toxicology report showed he had 3.5 times the amount of alcohol in his blood than would be considered legal for drink-driving.
A neighbour told the hearing that Mr Palmer had booked a lie detector test after becoming obsessed about an affair two decades before.
When she admitted it, he told the neighbour he had hit Carol and confided that he also spread out pills in the house and told her to take them. Speaking about the days after Carol had died, the neighbour said David would visit him in states of distress.
“After Carol’s death he slept on the floor where Carol died and drank alcohol to get to sleep,” he told the inquest. “He was so upset.”
The neighbour said David told him: “I know you’ve been a good friend to me, but I don’t want to be here any more.”
A friend of David’s said he ‘thought the world of Carol,’ but had fixated on the affair. She said on the night of Carol’s death, he had tried to split up with her and Carol said she didn’t want to live without him and would kill herself. David then said ‘go on then,’ and she killed herself.
Four days after Carol’s death, the friend said David called and said he’d been arrested for murder ‘but wasn’t a murderer.’ He went on to say: “I miss her so much and keep looking at old photos. I just don’t know how I can cope. I’ve got no family and nothing to live for.” Det Con Claire Jackson said police had seized computers and mobile phones but had no evidence against Mr Palmer that would lead to a criminal case.
Recording her conclusion, Coroner Lorraine Harris told the inquest in Hull: “This hearing has been called to hear the death of David Palmer.
“Interwoven with his death was his relationship with Carol Camm.
“For the most part of their relationship, it appeared they both cared very highly for one another. Everything changed in November.”
Ms Harris said David clearly struggled in the aftermath of Carol’s suicide.
“David had spoken to friends and relatives that he wanted to take his life after Carol died and told people that he had tried to kill himself in the same way she did, but got tunnel vision,” she said.
Helene Palmer starred in Coronation Street from 1978 until 1988. Her character returned in 1995 and she made her last appearance in 1998. She died aged 82 in 2011. Neighbour of David Palmer