A coroner has recorded a conclusion of suicide at the inquest into the death of former England cricketer Graham Thorpe, citing “failings” in his care during the final months of his life. Thorpe, 55, died on 4 August 2024 after being struck by a train at a railway station in Surrey.
The inquest at Surrey Coroner’s Court heard that Thorpe had “spiralled into depression” after losing his job as a batting coach in 2022 and had previously attempted to take his own life. His wife, Amanda, told the court he had asked her for help to end his life. Coroner Jonathan Stevens noted that Thorpe was last seen in person by healthcare professionals on 26 March 2024, and that there were “shortcomings” in his care over the subsequent four months.
Stevens said: “In my judgment there were shortcomings in the care that should have been provided to Graham in the last four months or so of his life.” He added that while there were “failings”, he could not conclude they were gross or that, without them, Thorpe would not have died. The coroner found that a face-to-face risk assessment should have been conducted, particularly after a phone consultation on 28 June 2024 when Thorpe’s wife reported his requests for help to die.
During that call, Thorpe said he “hadn’t been out for a while” and “didn’t see the point of being here”, but had no immediate plans. The coroner disagreed with the assessment that Thorpe was not in crisis, stating: “I don’t accept that when Graham was constantly asking his wife to help him end his life… that he was not at that point in crisis.”
Amanda Thorpe said outside court: “We will never get over the tragic loss of Graham, and we miss him every day. He was my best friend, my soulmate, and he was just a joy. And he loved life – but he got very ill.” The family’s legal representative, Mark McGhee, said they hoped the coroner’s findings would lead to improvements to prevent similar tragedies.
Jo Lynch, chief nursing officer for Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS trust, which investigated Thorpe’s care, said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Graham Thorpe… We will reflect on the coroner’s findings and our role in Graham’s care with a view to continuous improvement and learning.”
