PICTURED: Retired company director and his former teacher wife who were found dead in suicide pact at home with ‘do not revive’ written on their FOREHEADS
- Retired couple carried out a suicide pact at their home in Modbury, Devon
- Peter Norris, 75, and his wife Marguerite, 74, wrote Do Not Revive on themselves
- Police and paramedics found them on their beds in no suspicious circumstances
- Plymouth Coroner’s Court ruled that the couple had taken their own lives
A retired couple who carried out a suicide pact at their home because of their poor health have been pictured for the first time.
Peter Norris, 75, and his retired teacher wife Marguerite, 74, were found dead in separate bedrooms at their large detached home in Modbury, Devon on April 8 last year.
Both had written DNR – meaning ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ – on their foreheads and had informed written to their solicitor detailing their intentions, Plymouth Coroner’s Court heard.
Police and ambulance crews went to the property after a welfare concern was raised by neighbours who had not seen the couple for a week.
The 999 crews found Chelsea-born Peter and retired teacher Marguerite – known by friends as Marty – on their beds and confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances.
A retired couple who carried out a suicide pact at their home because of their poor health have been pictured for the first time. Peter Norris, 75, and wife Marguerite, 74, were found dead at their home in Modbury, Devon on April 8 last year
The photo shows the couple together in a video clip that was taken in January 1991.
Devon and Cornwall Police had been alerted by neighbours who had not seen the couple for several days.
The inquest heard the couple were both suffering from chronic pain because of heart and kidney disease and Peter also suffered from neuropathic pain following two strokes.
The senior Plymouth coroner Ian Arrow said empty blister packets of prescribed medication were found by their bodies and both had died from drug toxicity.
Police investigator Keeley Topham told the inquest that the letters DNR, for Do Not Revive, were written on their foreheads and hands.
An inquest at Plymouth Coroner’s Court (pictured) today heard that police and ambulance crews went to the property after a welfare concern was raised by neighbours who had not seen the couple for a week
Police investigator Keeley Topham told the inquest that the letters DNR, for Do Not Revive, were written on their foreheads and hands
She said there was evidence that ‘both had decided to die together’.
Police investigator Keeley Topham told the inquest: ‘Both the male and female had “DNR” written on their foreheads but (there were) no other suspicious circumstances,’ she said.
‘We spoke with neighbours who had attended that day, none of whom had seen the deceased in the week preceding their deaths.
‘On a desk were documents containing their updated will and various other bits of paperwork of matters that would require attention after their deaths.
‘On a table in the sitting room was a clipboard with instructions for the automated light and heating along with instructions about keeping the curtains drawn to prevent the furniture fading.
‘Later on, I spoke to the solicitor and they had received a letter from the couple which had basically explained, ‘Our lives, our choice’.
‘The conclusion based on evidence we saw at the scene and also the results of the toxicology conclusion were that it does not appear there were any suspicious circumstances to this incident.
The senior Plymouth coroner Ian Arrow (pictured) said empty blister packets of prescribed medication were found by their bodies and both had died from drug toxicity after taking lethal doses of painkillers
‘While we accept the decision on the cause of death is made by the coroner all the evidence at the scene would suggest the sad deaths of Mr and Mrs Norris was due to suicide with no third party involvement.’
On Monday senior coroner Ian Arrow recorded conclusions that Mr and Mrs Norris had taken their own lives.
‘I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Peter has decided to take an overdose,’ he said.
‘It is clear he did not wish to be resuscitated. I sadly therefore come to the conclusion he has taken his own life.’
Referring to Mrs Norris, he said: ‘I am satisfied from the fact she did not want to be resuscitated that she had taken those drugs with an intention of ending her own life.
‘I therefore sadly come to the conclusion she has taken her own life.’
- For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit samaritans.org
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