London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 16, 2025

Broken-hearted wife took her own life hours after husband died of coronavirus

Broken-hearted wife took her own life hours after husband died of coronavirus

Wing Commander Robin Bamfield's wife Susan said she could not live without him in her heartbreaking suicide note, which was found by her son at their home in Wokingham, Berkshire

Draped in flowers and a flag with 'Mum' and 'Dad' wreaths at the foot of their coffins, Susan and Robin Bamfield were united in death as they were in life.

Their marriage was destroyed by coronavirus in a few short hours. Susan, 71, took her own life just a day after her husband succumbed to Covid-19.

Wing Commander Bamfield, MBE, 76, was taken to hospital at the start of the outbreak to be treated for swelling from a sepsis infection which had left him in intensive care for almost 100 days in 2016.

His family had not wanted him admitted during the pandemic as they believed he was especially vulnerable, an inquest at Reading Coroners Court heard today.

Sarah Bamfield, the couple's daughter, told a coroner: "We begged them not to take him into hospital but the doctors said that was the only way, so he had a month in hospital.

"They had actually managed to alleviate the problem as such, then - Covid."


Mr Bamfield was aged 76 years when he died (pictured here with his wife Susan)


Mr Bamfield died on May 1 and his wife returned to their home in Wokingham, Berkshire.

The couple's son Mark found his mother unresponsive in her bed the next day. He also discovered a suicide note addressed to him and his sister.

Alan Blake, the assistant Coroner for Berkshire, summarising the note, said: "It was addressed to Sarah and to Mark, seeking your forgiveness for leaving but expressing your mother feeling broken-hearted and being unable to live without your father.

"She wanted you both to know how much she loved both of you."

Police found empty blister packs of anti-depressant medication at the house. The coroner said that this was known to cause seizures and death when taken in large quantities.

A post mortem found Mrs Bamfield was in relatively fit health for her age and gave the cause of her death as toxicity of the anti-depressant drug. No alcohol or other drugs were detected.

Mr Bamfield told police he had no idea his mother was planning to take her own life and explained she was a pancreatic cancer survivor, who had recently been suffering with anxiety and depression, for which she was taking medication.


Reading Coroners Court heard the inquest


In a family statement submitted to the hearing, he said: "Susan, mum, was a loving wife, loving mother-of-two and extremely loving and proud grandmother-of-two.

"Mum was an emotional lady, often having to resort to anti-depressants to cope. With the loss of her dear husband, she just could not carry on.

"It is with great sadness that mum mum decided to take her life and join my father on his journey to the afterlife."

Sarah Bamfield, who attended the inquest, added that her mother was "sadly missed and loved."

Mrs Bamfield was born in Reading and had worked as a sales consultant until retirement. She volunteered at the Blue Cross charity shop in Wokingham.

Concluding the inquest, Mr Blake said that he was satisfied that she had intended to take her own life.

"Susan Bamfield was profoundly distressed when her husband Robin became seriously ill. When Robin died on May 1, Susan consumed an overdose of anti-depressant medication that she had been prescribed," he said.

"I am satisfied both by the sad circumstances of this case and the expressions in the note that she left... that Susan did take her own life by means of an overdose and that she intended to do so in her grief on May 2."

Mark Bamfield has raised £1,200 for the charity Helping Homeless Veterans UK, a charity supported by his parents.

A spokesman for the charity said: "Wing Commander Robin Harold Bamfield MBE and his wife Susan May Bamfield passed away tragically recently and my close friend Mark Bamfield who was suffering this huge loss with the rest of his family had to say goodbye to his parents.

"Wing Commander Bamfield MBE had stated before his passing that he did not want flowers but wanted people to donate to our organisation because he was passionate about the work that we carry out in The Veterans Community.

"Mark set up a memorial page where people could donate to our organisation and myself and our directors are humbled to see that £1,100 has been raised in total so far.

"It is impossible to put into words how grateful we are to receive this huge amount of money and we will make sure that every year their memory will live on.

"For this to be arranged when people are suffering in immense grief takes great courage that Mark has in abundance and from the bottom of our hearts we thank you. May Robin and Susan Rest in Peace."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
×