'Failings' in care for cricket legend in the months before he took his own life
The 55-year-oldwas not seen by care professionals in person for over four months, despite them knowing that Thorpe was 'constantly asking for help to end his life'.
The cricket star died on the morning of August 4, 2024, after being struck by a train at a railway station in Surrey.
Coroner Jonathan Stevens recorded a conclusion of suicide at the inquest but said there had been 'shortcomings' in Thorpe's care.
Thorpe 'spiralled into depression' after losing his job as a batting coach in 2022 and had tried to take his own life on another occasion.
The coroner said the cricketer was last seen by healthcare professionals in person on March 26, 2024.
He missed an appointment with the community mental health team on June 28 that year.
That is when the care coordinator, Katie Johnson, spoke to Thorpe's wife Amanda, who reported that her husband was 'constantly asking for help to end his life'.
Thorpe later told Johnson himself that he 'didn't see the point of being here' but did not plan on acting on suicidal thoughts.
The coroner said 'someone should have gone to see' the 55-year-old to assess him after it was clear he 'found it hard to attend' appointments offered to him.
'Come see me in two weeks' was 'not an appropriate response,' he added.
Stevens said that 'protective measures' should have been introduced in June 2024, similar to when Thorpe was given in-patient treatment over suicidal thoughts in May 2023.
The inquest heard that those responsible for Thorpe's care judged he was in a 'crisis situation' after learning he had asked his wife 'for help to end his life'.
The coroner rejected that, saying: 'I don't accept that when Graham was constantly asking his wife to help him end his life, which was a new presentation… that he was not at that point in crisis.'
Stevens added: '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.'
However the coroner said the evidence did not point to the 'failings' in Thorpe's care being gross, so could not conclude Thorpe would not have died if not for the failings.
He added there was no evidence for a finding of neglect.
Thorpe's family said they hope the coroner will 'address concerns' regarding the cricketer's care before his death.
Their representative said they hope coroner will address the 'shortcomings' so that such a loss 'never happens again'.
Thorpe's wife Amanda spoke outside Surrey Coroner's Court with a message to the loved ones of others who struggle with their mental health.
She said: 'Reach out for help, and you are not alone. There is help out there. Keep going. Things will get better.' More Trending
The inquest heard previously that a leaked video of Tasmanian police breaking up a drinking session between England and Australian cricket players in 2022 was 'blown out of all proportion' and the fallout left Graham 'distraught'.
Amanda said it was a 'horrible' time, and the later termination of his employment with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was 'the 'start of the decline of his mental health'.
Thorpe was 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.
During a distinguished international career, he struck 16 Test hundreds for England, including a debut century against Australia at Trent Bridge in 1993, and represented his country 182 times in all formats.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Coroner rules what really happened to Jay Slater when he died in Tenerife
MORE: Ashes drinking video leak caused Graham Thorpe to 'spiral into depression'
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Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
'Failings' in care for cricket legend in the months before he took his own life
There were 'failings' in the care for former England cricketer Graham Thorpe in the months before he took his own life, a coroner has said. The 55-year-oldwas not seen by care professionals in person for over four months, despite them knowing that Thorpe was 'constantly asking for help to end his life'. The cricket star died on the morning of August 4, 2024, after being struck by a train at a railway station in Surrey. Coroner Jonathan Stevens recorded a conclusion of suicide at the inquest but said there had been 'shortcomings' in Thorpe's care. Thorpe 'spiralled into depression' after losing his job as a batting coach in 2022 and had tried to take his own life on another occasion. The coroner said the cricketer was last seen by healthcare professionals in person on March 26, 2024. He missed an appointment with the community mental health team on June 28 that year. That is when the care coordinator, Katie Johnson, spoke to Thorpe's wife Amanda, who reported that her husband was 'constantly asking for help to end his life'. Thorpe later told Johnson himself that he 'didn't see the point of being here' but did not plan on acting on suicidal thoughts. The coroner said 'someone should have gone to see' the 55-year-old to assess him after it was clear he 'found it hard to attend' appointments offered to him. 'Come see me in two weeks' was 'not an appropriate response,' he added. Stevens said that 'protective measures' should have been introduced in June 2024, similar to when Thorpe was given in-patient treatment over suicidal thoughts in May 2023. The inquest heard that those responsible for Thorpe's care judged he was in a 'crisis situation' after learning he had asked his wife 'for help to end his life'. The coroner rejected that, saying: 'I don't accept that when Graham was constantly asking his wife to help him end his life, which was a new presentation… that he was not at that point in crisis.' Stevens added: '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.' However the coroner said the evidence did not point to the 'failings' in Thorpe's care being gross, so could not conclude Thorpe would not have died if not for the failings. He added there was no evidence for a finding of neglect. Thorpe's family said they hope the coroner will 'address concerns' regarding the cricketer's care before his death. Their representative said they hope coroner will address the 'shortcomings' so that such a loss 'never happens again'. Thorpe's wife Amanda spoke outside Surrey Coroner's Court with a message to the loved ones of others who struggle with their mental health. She said: 'Reach out for help, and you are not alone. There is help out there. Keep going. Things will get better.' More Trending The inquest heard previously that a leaked video of Tasmanian police breaking up a drinking session between England and Australian cricket players in 2022 was 'blown out of all proportion' and the fallout left Graham 'distraught'. Amanda said it was a 'horrible' time, and the later termination of his employment with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was 'the 'start of the decline of his mental health'. Thorpe was 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. During a distinguished international career, he struck 16 Test hundreds for England, including a debut century against Australia at Trent Bridge in 1993, and represented his country 182 times in all formats. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Coroner rules what really happened to Jay Slater when he died in Tenerife MORE: Ashes drinking video leak caused Graham Thorpe to 'spiral into depression' MORE: Ben Stokes is the leading man as classic England v India Test series produces compelling drama
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Graham Thorpe's care had 'failings' in last months of his life before tragic death
An inquest at Surrey Coroner's Court in Woking heard Graham Thorpe 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 There were 'failings' in the provision of former England batter and coach Graham Thorpe's care in the months before he died in August last year, a coroner said, as he recorded a conclusion of suicide at his inquest. The 55-year-old died on the morning of August 4 2024 after being struck by a train at a railway station in Surrey. An inquest at Surrey Coroner's Court in Woking heard 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. Coroner Jonathan Stevens said at the inquest that the last time Thorpe was seen in person by healthcare professionals was on March 26 2024. He 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 'there were failings in the provision of his care' but said he cannot on the evidence conclude the failures were gross and so he can not conclude that if it were not for the failures Thorpe would not have died. The coroner said: 'It's clear there were shortcomings in his care. If he had been seen in those last four months, particularly after that incident on June 28, I cannot say whether it would or would not have made any difference.' Earlier on Friday, the inquest heard Thorpe was not perceived by healthcare professionals to be in a 'crisis situation' after they were told he had been asking his wife 'for help to end his life' weeks before he died. Thorpe was 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. During a distinguished international career, he struck 16 Test hundreds for England, including a debut century against Australia at Trent Bridge in 1993, and represented his country 182 times in all formats. An England and Wales Cricket Board spokesperson said: 'Graham was not only one of England's greatest cricketers, but also a deeply admired and much‑loved person. 'His generosity, warmth, and passion for the game left a lasting impact on everyone fortunate enough to know him — whether as a teammate, coach, or friend. 'His untimely death is a profound tragedy, and his loss is felt deeply across the cricketing community and far beyond. Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with his wife Amanda, his children, his father Geoff, and all those who loved him. 'Graham's passing is also a stark reminder of the challenges so many face with mental health. 'His family's courage in sharing his story is deeply moving, and we hope that the upcoming 'Day for Thorpey' at the Kia Oval, in support of Mind, will both honour his memory and encourage others to speak openly and seek the help they need.'
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
England cricketer Graham Thorpe suffered ‘failings' in his care before taking his own life on train track, coroner rules
ENGLAND cricketer Graham Thorpe suffered "failings" in his care before he took his own life on train tracks, a coroner ruled today. The dad, 55, was found dead on August 4 last year after a heartbreaking battle with anxiety and depression for several years. 2 2 An inquest has heard Thorpe begged his wife Amanda to help him die when his mental health "spiralled". The Surrey lefthander had previously tried to take his own life in 2022 after losing his coaching job with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Coroner Jonathan Stevens today recorded a verdict of suicide and said there were "failings" in the provision of care. But he said he couldn't conclude the failures were gross and was therefore unable to find that if it were not for the failures, Thorpe wouldn't have died. Mr Stevens added: "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 continued: "If he had been seen in those last four months, particularly after that incident on June 28, I cannot say whether it would or would not have made any difference." The hearing was told yesterday how Thorpe had missed a number of appointments with a mental health team before his death. He also told care co-ordinator Katie Johnson in June 2024 that he "hadn't been out for a while" and "didn't see the point of being here". But Thorpe reportedly had no immediate plans to act on suicidal thoughts and agreed to come to more follow-up appointments, consultant psychiatrist Dr Amirthalingam Baheerathan said. When asked whether the comments required an immediate review, the psychiatrist said he felt Thorpe "wasn't under imminent risk". The last time Dr Baheerathan saw Thorpe was 19 weeks before he died on March 20, 2024, it was said. He had been treating the cricketer since October 2022 after he was transferred to the community mental health recovery services following his discharge from a private hospital. It came after Thorpe was dismissed from his role with the ECB following an "incident" surrounding a viral video. According to reports at the time, the video was filmed after a dismal Ashes series which England lost 4-0. It showed Tasmanian police breaking up a drinking session involving both England and Australia players. The leak of the footage caused Thorpe to be dismissed and he ended up in hospital for eight weeks due to a suicide attempt in 2022. His wife Amanda told the court Thorpe had also found Covid lockdown "very difficult" and "stressful". Assistant coroner Jonathan Stevens said: "Things continued to go downhill, he was really struggling, had anxiety and insomnia and it was all really dark." Thorpe made repeated threats to kill himself and by June 2024, he lost interest in food and "wanted to hide away, totally isolated, in real crisis and despair", the court heard. On August 4 that year, he left home and was never seen alive again. Amanda believed he had gone out to walk the dog but saw the pet at home still so tried to call her husband. The court heard she then received a call from Thorpe's dad telling her: "He's gone". Amanda added: "He never really recovered from (his first suicide) attempt. "He came back from the tour of Australia in a terrible state - lots of things, the video, the environment, the set-up. "To be sacked after that I think it was foreseeable that it would be really really hard on him." She also told the court how in the weeks leading up to his death, Thorpe told her he "doesn't want to be here any more". How to get help EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: CALM, 0800 585 858 Heads Together, HUMEN Mind, 0300 123 3393 Papyrus, 0800 068 41 41 Samaritans, 116 123 Amanda added: ""He asked me to help him end his life. "He said he wants to go to Switzerland. I was in turmoil." Thorpe made his international debut in 1993 and scored a century on his first Ashes appearance, becoming the first England player to do so in 20 years. He was an England regular and went on to play 100 Tests, scoring 16 centuries and featuring 82 times for the ODI side, as well as enjoying a 17-year career with Surrey. His final Test appearance came in June 2005 before he was omitted from that summer's victorious Ashes series and called time on his international career.
