A heartbroken former factory worker who was left devastated by his wife's death took his own in a car fire in Cornwall - just weeks after she died. Michael Hewett had been married to his wife Diana for more than 50 years and an inquest on Monday (December 11) heard that they were "devoted to each other".
According to Cornwall Live, Diana died on New Year's Day 2023 and Michael, 72, "was lost without her". On February 11 of this year he sat in his Honda CRV car on the driveway of his rural home in Sycamore Wells, Lezant, and started a fire.
Neighbours heard an explosion and pulled him from the inferno but he suffered 95 per cent burns and died later in Plymouth's Derriford Hospital from severe burns.
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He mumbled to a firefighter at the scene, "let me go", the inquest at Cornwall Coroner's Court in Truro was told. Police found an entry in his 2023 diary on January 25 saying: "I cannot live without my wife. Sorry, Mike."
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The day before his death he had made the arrangements for his wife's funeral. The couple, who were childless, were described as "placid and calm" but did not have many friends. One friend told the inquest that after Diana died Michael changed and became quiet and struggled without their routine and was grief-stricken.
Doctors said the retired factory worker's injuries were not survivable.
Relatives on his wife's side said they were "devoted to each other" and were not surprised that Michael died six weeks after his wife. Friend Teresa Parnell said they were married for 53 years and Michael was heartbroken when she died.
She said: "He struggled after her death. He did not know how to boil an egg and he struggled with loneliness."
Police and fire investigators concluded Michael had deliberately placed himself in the car and set fire to it as he intended to end his life. The senior Cornwall coroner Andrew Cox recorded a suicide conclusion saying they lived for each other's lives and Michael was lost without her.
Shatter the Silence
The DevonLive Shatter the Silence campaign aims to encourage anyone struggling to reach out and talk - to either a friend, relative, charity or a professional. Our campaign content will highlight just how important talking is and the difference it can make.
Ultimately, we want to reduce the number of people who die by suicide in Devon. We will highlight where to get help and show how talking has helped people come through difficult times in their lives. We will speak to families who have lost loved ones to look at the lasting impact of suicide and attempt to dismiss the inaccurate belief many people who are struggling manifest that they are a burden on the ones they love. We will look at the devastation caused to those left behind in the hope that even one reader might change their mind if they have considered taking their own life.
We will speak to people who have survived a suicide attempt and have accessed counselling or other mental health services to show that things can get better. We will speak to Samaritans volunteers about their vital work in Devon and how they are on hand 24-7 to listen. And we will offer guidance on what to say to someone who is struggling so people feel more confident to have that conversation.
Do you have a relevant story to share? Email emma.slee@reachplc.com.
WHERE TO GET HELP:
SAMARITANS offers support in a range of ways, including a self-help app, email support or by calling 116 123 for free 24 hours a day
NHS Offers advice on how to access mental health support
TALKWORKS is a free-to-access NHS service offering a variety of treatment and support for adults (aged 18+) living in Devon (excluding Plymouth)
CALM offer a free, confidential helpline 0800 58 58 58 and webchat, 7 hours a day, 7 days a week for anyone who needs to talk about life's problems
HUB OF HOPE is a mental health support database that can signpost you to local support services
ANDY'S MAN CLUB offers men a chance to talk with like-minded people. They have clubs in Devon as well as nationally
KOOTH & QWELL provides free, safe and anonymous online mental wellbeing support, including moderated peer support forums and text-based counselling, to all residents living in Devon (aged 11+)
PETE'S DRAGONS provide free-to-access support to all residents living in Devon who may have been bereaved by suicide at any point in their lives
THE MOORINGS is an emotional support service that provides telephone and face-to-face support via a drop-in service at its bases in Exeter, Barnstaple and Torquay. It is a non-clinical service but provides emotional support, signposting to other services and other general support that is tailored to the people who access it.
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