Son Committed Suicide...So Parents Did Too

[bloodrayne]

Parents' Suicide After Son's Death

The parents of a man who hanged himself took their own lives after hearing of his death.

UK - Neil Powell, 27, from Bridgend, was found hanging from a tree in a field in July 2005.

Hours after being told by police, his father Robert, 56, hanged himself at home in Llandeilo and his mother Mary, 56, drowned herself at a reservoir.

The coroner said it was one of the most tragic family cases he had come across in 30 years.

He recorded that Neil Powell, a chemistry graduate, killed himself by hanging and returned a suicide verdict on his parents.

The inquest heard that Mr and Mrs Powell were told by police their only son Neil had been found hanging near his home on 14 July, 2005.

Hours later, the couple took their own lives. They were last seen driving down the lane at 2130 BST by a neighbor

Mr Powell, a retired civil servant, was found hanged in an outhouse building of his home after driving his wife to the Llyn Brianne reservoir where she had drowned.

The hearing was told how police discovered the couple had attempted to poison themselves by trying to attach a vacuum pipe to their car's exhaust.

Officers also found a substantial quantity of tablet wrappers in the vehicle.

Their bodies were discovered on 15 July 2005 - the day after their son's body was found.

A farmer had previously discovered Neil Powell's body hanging from a tree in a field opposite a paper mill near Maesteg.

The coroner heard how he had appeared depressed after being unemployed for 18 months.

Phillip Walters, coroner for Bridgend and the Glamorgan Valleys, described the death of the family as "most tragic family case that has been my unfortunate experience to deal with in my 30 years as a coroner.

"Mr and Mrs Powell felt there was no purpose on going on after the death of Neil.

"They loved their son very much and life there after served no purpose and they took the ultimate step of ending their lives."

Speaking about the death of Neil Powell he added: "One of the nationwide phenomena which we have at the moment is the suicide of young males.

"There has been a considerable spate of suicides in young males in this age group, and in many cases no-one has been able to find answers.

"And this, I regret to say, is another one which I have had to deal with where I can find no answers other than to say that generally since he had finished work he wasn't the man he used to be.

"There are no notes and there was no communications with any friends to suggest the events surrounding his death or that he was going to take this course of action."