Bishop's Walk, St AsaphA devoted couple decided to kill themselves on learning that the husband hadonly a short time left to live.In one of several jointly signed letters left for friends, the police andtheir solicitor Howard and Jacqueline Titterton wrote: "Neither one of uswishes to live without the other."They said they had "a great life."Their deaths were planned meticulously, leaving a key with their next-doorneighbours for the police to enter their home and putting labels on itemswith the names of people who were to receive them. Grim details of the double tragedy emerged at yesterday's(TH) inquest atRuthin, North Wales. David Pojur, assistant coroner for North Wales Eastand Central, recorded conclusions of suicide on both of them. They werefound dead in their home in Bishop's Walk, St Asaph, on November 13.Mr Titterton, 80, a retired research and development officer with glassmanufacturers Pilkington, had been diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer andwas receiving palliative care at home, where his wife, a former nurse, wasable to help look after him.Their next-door neighbour, Denbighshire County Councillor Andrew Thomas,said in a statement that Mr Titterton had begun looking frail but seemed"OK" a few days before his death.His wife Susan Thomas described them as "lovely people" and said the tragedycame as a real shock. She had thought it odd that Mrs Titterton had, onlythe previous day, given her a park-and-ride ticket for Chester, telling hershe would not be using it.On the morning of November 13 Mr Thomas found an envelope through his doorcontaining ?500 and a note indicating that they had killed themselves."I wondered if I was reading what I was," he said.Mrs Thomas called 999, as the couple had asked. When officers arrived theyfound Mr Titterton lying in an empty bath covered by a blanket and adressing-gown, and his wife was on the bed. Both had superficial cuts. Mrs Titterton, 78, died of suffocation and her husband's death wasconsistent with the same cause. Both had died a short time apart.Home Office pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers told the inquest that there wasevidence of the bathroom having been cleaned up, possibly indicating thatboth had initially tried to self-harm before changing their minds. They useda method of suffocation.Among those who received letters on the day on which the bodies were foundwas Anthony Jones, a close friend from their childhood days, with whom theyhad spent numerous holidays.He said the Tittertons, who had no children, enjoyed travelling, especiallycruises, and shared the same hobbies of music and photography.
The pair dropped off a spare key with their neighbours before their deaths (Picture: Google)
OAP couple killed themselves after husband???s terminal cancer diagnosis because they didn???t want to live without each other Councillor Andrew Thomas received a note from the couple Provider: Denbighshire County Council Source: https://moderngov.denbighshire.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=785&LLL=0
Councillor Andrew Thomas called the police after finding their letter (Picture: Denbighshire County Council)

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