A 72-year-old devoted husband, Michael Hewett, dies by suicide just two months after the passing of his beloved wife, Diana, after spending 50 years together.
The couple, who shared over 50 years of marriage and were described as “devoted to each other,” faced a sudden and overwhelming tragedy.
On a fateful day in February, Michael sat in his Honda CR-V on the driveway of their rural home in Lezant, Cornwall, and set fire to the car.
Neighbors, hearing an explosion, rushed to rescue him, but he had suffered 95% burns and later succumbed to his injuries at Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital.
The grief-stricken husband, who had lost his wife on New Year’s Day, left a chilling message in his diary on January 25: “I cannot live without my wife. Sorry, Mike.” His struggles with loneliness and the absence of their routine became apparent to friends, with one noting the significant change in his demeanor after Diana’s death.
As rescuers attempted to save him from the flames, Michael reportedly uttered the heartbreaking words, “Let me go.” The couple, childless and described as “placid and calm,” faced the challenges of grief in different ways. Michael’s final act reflected the profound impact of losing a lifelong partner.
Friend Teresa Parnell said they were married for 53 years and Mr Hewett was heartbroken when she died. She said: ‘He struggled after her death. He did not know how to boil an egg and he struggled with loneliness.’
Police and fire investigators concluded Mr Hewett had deliberately placed himself in the car and set fire to it as he intended to end his life. The senior Cornwall coroner Andrew Cox recorded a suicide conclusion saying they lived for each other’s lives and Mr Hewett was lost without her.
While friends and relatives express their sorrow, the incident sheds light on the complexities of coping with loss and the importance of providing support to those navigating the difficult journey of grief.
