Graham Thorpe asked wife to ‘help him end life’, inquest hears

Former England cricketer Graham Thorpe asked his wife Amanda “to help him end his life” in the weeks leading up to his death, an inquest has heard.

The 55-year-old died on 4 August 2024 after being hit by a train in Esher, Surrey.

Thorpe had told a healthcare professional he “didn’t see the point of being here” and missed a number of appointments in the months before he died, Surrey Coroner’s Court in Woking heard on Thursday.

He had “spiralled into depression” after losing his job as a batting coach in 2022, and he had tried to take his own life on another occasion, the court heard.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Amirthalingam Baheerathan was asked whether Mr Thorpe’s comments had required an immediate review, but he said it was felt he “wasn’t under imminent risk”.

He added that when patients missed appointments with the community mental health team, further attempts would be made to book sessions.

In Mr Thorpe’s case, the situation fluctuated, with some appointments attended and others missed, he said.

After missing an appointment on 28 June 2024, care co-ordinator Katie Johnson spoke to Mr Thorpe.

He told her he “hadn’t been out for a while” and “didn’t see the point of being here”, but had no immediate plans to act on suicidal thoughts, Dr Baheerathan said in his statement.

Mark McGhee, representing Mr Thorpe’s family, asked Dr Baheerathan if he accepted people who were depressed might not say what they actually mean.

Dr Baheerathan said: “Not all the time. But there are times when in Mr Thorpe’s case he said that he will come for the appointments and he came for some of the appointments.”

He first met with Mr Thorpe in October 2022, after he had been transferred to the community mental health recovery services following his discharge from a private hospital.

Mr Thorpe had been diagnosed with moderate depressive disorder, Dr Baheerathan told the court, adding his depression was “fluctuating” and that at some points he was severely depressed.

During a meeting in April 2023, Mr Thorpe mentioned he was having “active suicidal thoughts”, the psychiatrist said.

On Wednesday, the former cricketer’s widow Amanda Thorpe told the court losing his job as an England batting coach in 2022 had been a “real shock” which had marked the “decline” of his mental health.

Mr Thorpe had been a mainstay in the England set-up for many years, first as a batter between 1993 and 2005 before spending 12 years in coaching roles.

The inquest continues.

Additional reporting by PA Media.

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