A CARLISLE pensioner who was left "exhausted" by caring full-time for his dementia-stricken wife took his own life.
A coroner yesterday heard a moving account of the events which led to the death of 81-year-old John Troughear, who died two days after police forced their way into his Crummock Street home in the city.
He had deliberately harmed himself, an inquest heard.
During the 90-minute hearing in Cockermouth, Assistant Coroner Robert Cohen heard statements which set out the background to the tragedy - including evidence that Mr Troughear, whose wife Margaret had severe dementia, had refused offers of help.
The alarm was raised by a concerned relative, left worried when Mr Troughear failed to respond to repeated phone calls on Saturday, March 13. As a result, police went to the terraced property in the mid-afternoon.
The officers initially saw no sign of the pensioner, though his wife did come to the locked front door but could not open it. Clearly confused, Margaret Troughear was unable to push the key through the letter-box.
The police officers used a specialist device to snap the lock and gain entry. Searching inside, they found Mr Troughear - a former worker at the Carlisle crane firm Cowans Sheldon - in an upstairs bedroom.
He was in a bed, covered in blood - the result of having harmed himself. Mr Troughear had left a note, apologising and explaining he could not carry on. At The Cumberland Infirmary, he told staff he was unable to cope with his life any longer.
"He was greatly apologetic to have have caused upset or to have increased [our] workload," said one senior nurse who looked after him. The hearing heard that Mr Troughear's case was immediately referred to the psychiatric services, who had no prior knowledge of him.
Despite treatment, which included a blood transfusion, he died at 5.22pm on March 16, the primary cause of death being the "significant" blood loss he suffered from his injuries. He also had an acute kidney injury.
In a statement, the pensioner's GP recognised Mr Troughear was struggling to cope, but said that he and his wife had been "absolutely opposed" to accepting help and did not want his family to know how he felt.
A mental health service report recognised that Mrs Troughear had exhibited "challenging behaviour" due to her severe Alzheimers and that caring for her had placed her husband under "significant strain."
A Cumberland Infirmary renal consultant also noted evidence of Mr Troughear's "general exhaustion" and depression and how his physical condition had deteriorated on March 15. Mr Cohen concluded that Mr Troughear took his own life.
* For more information about help for carers, log on to www.carerssupportcumbria.co.uk. Carlisle Carers are on 01228 542156.
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