Wiltshire’s coroner has blamed the government for a rise in the number of ‘suicide pact’ deaths.
David Ridley says a ”failing on the part of parliament” has led to an increase in the number of people taking their lives together.
The coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon made the remarks during an inquest into the deaths of Claudia Forbes, 62, and her 72-year-old husband Andrew Ian Forbes.
Mr Forbes and his wife were found dead in their bed at their home near Warminster on 7 December last year.
The inquest was told the decomposed bodies were found at a cottage on Eastleigh Farm in the picturesque village of Bishopstrow.
“Colloquially we would call it a ‘suicide pact’,” Mr Ridley said after confirming the pair took lethal drug overdoses.
Mr Forbes had advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), while his wife was generally in good health but had early signs of the same disease.
He added: “They thought about it and being private people it seems they made a decision, and increasingly we are seeing this now.
“People want to take control over the end of their lives into their own hands – maybe that is a failing on the part of parliament that they don’t provide support for people.”
He remarked that the UK does not have anything equivalent to the Swiss assisted dying clinic Dignitas.
“We as a coroner’s service do see this now increasingly where people want to take control at the end of life rather that place their faith and safety and comfort in other people,” Mr Ridley said.
“It is a possibility that Claudia felt without Ian, because they were such a close-knit couple, she didn’t want to be on this planet any longer and that is why they took the action they did.”
Mr Ridley offered his condolences to Mrs and Mrs Forbes’ families.
