Police apologise to family after father’s last words go missing

A GRIEVING family were denied the chance to read a note left to them by their father following an ‘unforgivable’ blunder by Thames Valley Police (TVP).

The family of Anthony Frank Wootton, 74, who died at his home in Hearn Road, Woodley, were eager to read what he had written in his letter before he took his own life on June 21.

But they were denied that chance after officers at TVP seized the note, found close to Mr Wootton’s body, and disposed of it before the coroner had a chance to examine it.

Speaking at Mr Wootton’s inquest on Thursday, November 9, the Chief Coroner for Berkshire, Peter Bedford, said TVP’s actions were ‘unforgivable’.

Mr Wootton’s son Brian, who attended the inquest at Reading Town Hall, said: “The officers at the scene showed us the note, but it was such a blur and such an emotional time that we didn’t get a chance to really take in what he’d written.”

Mr Bedford apologised to Mr Brian Wootton, and said that he would be investigating the matter further.

The inquest heard how Mr Anthony Wootton had lost his wife Anne in 2015, and had suffered from low mood ever since.

In April this year, he suffered a stroke and was hospitalised for four weeks. One of his other sons, Gary, had moved into his father’s home to help support him with his recovery, but it became clear to the family that he had become very low.

Brian Wootton said: “Mum was his world, he was very insular and when she died it really affected him.

“He would drive to her grave every day and just sit with her for hours. After he had his stroke and was told he may not be able to drive, that pushed him over the edge.”

His sons tried to encourage him to socialise with friends, and to get help to address his low mood, but he refused.

Brian Wootton said: “He was of the generation where you don’t get help for that sort of thing, it’s not the done thing.”

His brother Gary said in a statement that on the morning of June 21, he left for work at around 8am, and had a quick chat with his father before he left. Gary had only been back at work for two days following his father’s discharge from hospital on May 16.

In his statement, Gary Wootton described returning home that evening to find his father suspended from the loft hatch. He cut him down, and called 999, who advised him to start CPR before paramedics arrived.

A crew from South Central Ambulance Service arrived shortly afterwards, but declared Mr Wootton dead at the scene.

TVP officers PC Adrian Collisson and PC Anthony Rollason attended the scene, where they could find no sign of disturbance or third party involvement.

The note, found near to Mr Wootton’s body, was seized by the officers and taken into storage.

When clearing through his personal belongings, Mr Wootton’s family found several hand-written letters locked in a safe, instructing any money to be distributed between his grandchildren.

Brian Wootton said: “We think he wrote these letters some time ago, because he made reference to my brother’s baby daughter, but didn’t refer to her by name, so we think he wrote it before she was born.

“He had clearly been thinking about it for some time.”

A post-mortem examination found evidence of the earlier stroke, and marks consistent with how he was found, but otherwise Mr Wootton was in good health.

A toxicology report found only traces of caffeine in his system.

Summing up, Mr Bedford said: “Not only had he lost his wife, but to suffer a stroke as well so soon afterwards, that is a lot for someone to go through.

“From the evidence in front of me, I need to be sure beyond all reasonable doubt that Mr Anthony Wootton intended to take his own life. I believe that he waited for his son, Gary, to go back to work, and took his opportunity.

“I will record that Mr Anthony Frank Wootton, of Hearn Road, Woodley, took his own life on June 21, 2017, following the death of his wife and having recently suffered a stroke.”