Husband, 72, killed himself by setting his automobile on fireplace after spouse died

A faithful husband who was left heartbroken by the dying of his spouse killed himself by setting his automobile on fireplace, telling rescuers to ‘let him go’, an inquest heard as we speak.

Michael Hewett, 72, died within the automobile inferno in February, two months after the dying of his spouse Diana on New Year’s Day.

The couple had been married for greater than 50 years and had been ‘devoted to one another’, family stated. 

On February 11 he sat in his Honda CR-V on the driveway of his rural dwelling within the village of Lezant, Cornwall, and set fireplace to the automobile.

Neighbours heard an explosion and pulled him from the inferno however he suffered 95 per cent burns and died later in Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital.

Michael Hewett killed himself by setting his automobile on fireplace, a coroner’s inquest held at Pydar House, Truro (pictured) heard as we speak

Neighbours heard an explosion and pulled him from the inferno however he suffered 95 per cent burns and died later in Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital (pictured)

As rescuers surrounded Mr Hewett to avoid wasting him, he mumbled to a firefighter on the scene ‘let me go’, the inquest heard.  

Police discovered an entry in his 2023 diary on January 25 saying: ‘I can not dwell with out my spouse. Sorry, Mike.’

The day earlier than his dying he had made the preparations for his spouse’s funeral.

The couple, who had been childless, had been described as ‘placid and calm’ and didn’t have many associates.

One buddy instructed the inquest at Pydar House in Truro, Cornwall, that after Mrs Hewett died, Mr Hewett modified and have become quiet and struggled with out their routine and was grief stricken.

Doctors stated the retired manufacturing facility employee suffered burns to each a part of his physique however his ft and that his accidents had been unsurvivable.

Relatives on his spouse’s facet of the couple stated they had been ‘devoted to one another’ and weren’t shocked that he died six weeks after his spouse.

Friend Teresa Parnell stated they had been married for 53 years and Mr Hewett was heartbroken when she died.

She stated: ‘He struggled after her dying. He didn’t know easy methods to boil an egg and he struggled with loneliness.’

Police and fireplace investigators concluded Mr Hewett had intentionally positioned himself within the automobile and set fireplace to it as he supposed to finish his life.

The senior Cornwall coroner Andrew Cox recorded a suicide conclusion saying they lived for one another’s lives and Mr Hewett was misplaced with out her.