Tragedy of the twins who died side-by-side
Coroner rules brothers took their own lives
THEY lived together and died together after a life haunted by tragedy and abuse.
Their childhoods marred by grief after their parents took their own lives together. History was tragically to repeat itself decades later.
Identical twin brothers Paul and Peter Geill died side-by-side at the two-bed flat they shared in Rochdale.
Little is known of their lives, but neighbours on the fourth floor of the Seven Sisters tower block where they’d lived since 2016 described the brothers as ‘always cheerful, pleasant and well-dressed.’
Such was their resemblance, they often got them mixed up.
But those who came into contact with the pair told of how they never enjoyed the company of visitors and were always by themselves. Even to outsiders, their loneliness was palpable.
They were two of seven siblings, but following their deaths, police could only track down two of them and only one was able to give a brief history of their lives before they ended in such horrific circumstances.
Born in Stockport, the brothers - said to have a very close bond - were put into foster care after their parents took their lives together.
But the twins, an empty courtroom at Rochdale Coroner’s Court heard, ‘kept together and lived together.’
Their bodies were found at the flat they shared in Dunkirk Rise on College Bank Way in the town centre, on November 27 last year after concerns grew when they didn’t collect their weekly methadone prescriptions from a chemist.
Details of their difficult upbringing were heard in court. They’d become addicted to heroin after suffering awful abuse as young boys.
The brothers had been trying to kick their habit together, but the noise coming from some neighbours at their RBH property were said to be worsening their already fragile mental health.
Assistant coroner Matthew Cox concluded that both Peter and Paul, aged 50, had died as a result of suicide. The court was told they had penned a ‘testimony into our deaths.’
Such was their solitude, it took 12 days for the alarm to be raised to Greater Manchester Police that something might not be right.
Their bodies were later discovered by paramedics, police coroner’s officer Kathy Dixon said.
The inquest heard CCTV enquiries were made and key fobs the brothers used to enter the tower block were analysed, but they were last used 12 days before their bodies were found.
Ms Dixon said logs and paperwork detailing records of ‘banging’ apparently coming from flats above and below theirs were found, together with a document titled ‘testimony of our deaths.’
She said no recent police records on the twins could be found on GMP’S computer system, but a ‘safeguarding concern’ was raised in November 2017 after Peter told a social worker he had taken an overdose.
The brothers - who the inquest heard were working together to kick their drug habits - were being helped by drug and alcohol service Turning Point in Rochdale.
Clinical service manager Karen Penswick said Peter, who was also said to have a personality disorder and agoraphobia, had a good relationship with his recovery worker and the brothers engaged well with the support they were receiving.
She said: “He described how he had had a very difficult childhood and felt some responsibility for his parents’ suicide.”
The brothers were said to have suffered abuse at the hands of their parents.
Ms Penswick said: “Peter would get quite worried about his brother.
“They had a very supportive relationship.”
She said he confided of being ‘unhappy about living in the flat’ due to noise from neighbours above and below and was advised to speak to his housing worker.
“He was working towards a full detox alongside his brother,” Ms Penswick said. “It is clear they had a very mutual relationship.”
She said both brothers had used heroin and crack cocaine. Paul, she added, was also on methadone and used diazepam.
“Both supported each other and engaged well with each other,” Ms Penswick added.
Hayley Stockham, director of neighbourhoods at landlord Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, said the brothers’ tenancy at the flat began in November, 2016.
The inquest heard only two complaints about noise were ever made during that time, the final one coming last year.
The first complaint in 2017, she said, detailed slamming doors and regular banging and jumping of children upstairs.
Ms Stockham said that after last year’s complaint the brothers asked for a meeting, which took place on November 3, 2023, although only Peter attended with a housing officer.
She said the noises were discussed and Peter said people would bang when he hoovered. He was said to have recorded the noises.
Ms Stockham said he was offered a specific noise testing and evaluation process, but he said he didn’t want to do it, and declined further dedicated offers of support.
The allocated housing officer also gave him her mobile phone number.
“Peter said that he would contact us if he needed to, but there was no further contact,” Ms Stockham told the inquest. The flat below was said to be empty, but Peter said he didn’t believe it was.
Assistant coroner Mr Cox called their deaths ‘tragic’ and said both used drugs.
He said the evidence indicated that prescriptions weren’t collected by the brothers on November 21 and 22 before their bodies were found.
Mr Cox said: “A concern for their welfare was raised with Greater Manchester Police on November 27.
“At that time, the bodies of the brothers were found. The cause of Paul’s death was hanging and mixed drug toxicity and in the case of Peter, respiratory depression due to mixed drug toxicity.
“A document was found at the address. That document does not appear to give a clear indication of the brothers’ intentions, but it is titled ‘testimony of our deaths.’
“Peter took his own life intending the consequences of his actions and
“It’s such a shock. You never know what people are going through.”
Paul also took his own life intending the consequences of his actions.”
No further details were given.
Speaking after the inquest neighbour Jean Blair described her shock at the brothers’ deaths.
She said: “They were really nice boys. They used to push a card through at Christmas and if I did some baking I’d take some round for them.
“They were always really cheerful and pleasant and they were always nicely dressed. It’s such a shock. You never know what people are going through.”
Another neighbour said: “I couldn’t tell the difference between them. I always thought they were really nice lads.
“I used to pick parcels up for them and he’d always want to have a chat. I didn’t know they were drug users.
“But I don’t think they had many friends. I think they were lonely. You never saw anyone with them. If you saw them outside they were on their own.”