Terminally ill man bought drug and suicide manual online before killing himself
A HEART-BROKEN wife has described the moment she left the room while her "courageous, strong-willed and determined" terminally-ill husband of nearly 40 years took his own life.
Father-of-two Thomas Anthony Hobkinson had motor neurone disease and bought drugs over the internet from Mexico to kill himself at home, an inquest heard.
The 71-year-old retired auditor had watched a television programme about euthanasia by novelist Sir Terry Pratchett, who has Alzheimer's, and bought a handbook over the internet on how to commit suicide.
Diagnosed in 2009, as the disease worsened Mr Hobkinson informed family, friends, doctors and carers of his intention to end his life, the inquest heard.
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By the time he died, he was in a wheelchair and was having trouble swallowing and breathing – and, according to doctors, was approaching the end-stages of the disease.
Yesterday his widow Anne, who now lives in the Stoke area of Plymouth, told the hearing at Truro she knew her husband had kept a veterinary drug from Mexico in the Falmouth flat they lived in at the time for several weeks before he died.
The couple had two sons, 38-year-old Ashley and 28-year-old Ben, who had got married in August last year.
Mrs Hobkinson, 64, who used to work in administration said on the night of September 29 last year her husband told her he was ready to die.
"Tom said he was going to do it," she told the inquest. "He was watching a DVD of our son Ben's wedding.
"He told me to go to bed and to take one of his sleeping pills.
"We said our goodbyes. As I left the room he told me not to forget the heating instructions for the flat were in the bottom drawer – that was typical of him."
She said she left her husband sitting in his wheelchair next to the living room table at around 10.45pm.
At around 3am she woke up and found him dead with an almost empty bottle of the drug, the remnants of a drink of whiskey in a glass and a suicide note.
The note was typed, signed and dated, and read: "I have committed euthanasia by my own hand and without any assistance."
He went on to say if he was found alive he did not want to be resuscitated.
A post-mortem examination later revealed he died from an overdose of the drug and had 14mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in his system.
Mrs Hobkinson added: "I was hoping it wasn't going to work. But on the other hand it was what he wanted."
Detective Constable David Palmer told the inquest how examination of Mr Hobkinson's laptop showed emails between himself and a contact in Mexico for the drug. When Coroner Dr Emma Carlyon asked if there had been any third party involvement, assistance or pressure exerted on Mr Hobkinson to kill himself, the officer replied: "Absolutely none whatsoever."
Dr Carlyon recorded a verdict that Mr Hobkinson had killed himself.
Speaking after the inquest Mrs Hobkinson said: "Tom loved life and even though the disease was getting worse and worse he was happy right up until the end. He loved sailing and when his condition deteriorated we got rid of the sailing boat and bought a motor boat he could get onboard in his scooter.
"Tom was a wonderful, courageous, strong-willed, determined man. A fantastic husband and father. We all love him very much and miss him."
Comments
by PLYMFOX01
Friday, September 14 2012, 1:48PM
“I have an open mind on Euthanasia. Why is it for example you can legally have an animal put to sleep because it is suffering and will never get better? (We have recently had to do this to our poor little dog). Why can someone have an abortion when the unborn child is perfectly healthy and the only reason given is that they dont want the baby?
But you are unable to help a terminally ill person end their life when they are in lots of pain and always will be. Doesnt make a lot of sense to me.”
by Tessa43
Friday, September 14 2012, 1:34PM
“trudie2010: - Firstly when you are dying of an incurable disease and are near the end then there is nothing wrong with what this man did. Why should he suffer? Why should his family suffer by having to watch him suffer? I know I have been there more than once and it really hurts, even years later, to look back and remember the screams from the pain they were in. I have also tried to take my life. I could not do it. I was not brave enough. It is said that it is a cowards way out, I very much disagree, you have to be very brave to go through with suicide. It is final and there is no going back, so those who succeed are brave. It is just a shame there is not a lot more cures for illnesses like this. My thoughts are now with the family left behind with their memories of a wonderful man.”
by Nikgee
Friday, September 14 2012, 1:15PM
“They say life is precious, but for some, living can be a torment. This subject has been around for years, the arguments have not changed. It is sad to see someone we love get ripped apart by a disease with a vague hope of a cure "tomorrow".
My condolences and praise go out to Mrs Hobkinson for the courage to allow her husband to take the only real practical path to stop the suffering. The only winners here was dignity and commonsense.”
by mesler
Friday, September 14 2012, 3:17AM
“Dear Anne,
what a truly wonderful, brave and inspiring women you are. My hat is off to you and your dearly beloved, may he at last rest in peace. Chin up girl.
Michael Fesler [Jakarta]”
by blogtodi
Thursday, September 13 2012, 8:12PM
“@trudie2010 - perhaps when you're a little more mature it will be possible for you to see both sides of the discussion not the one-sided view you seem to have at the moment.”
by CharlieDodd
Thursday, September 13 2012, 7:30PM
“To be locked in a clapped-out body can't be nice, so the sooner the soul can be set free the better, we're supposed to be a christian country-
Jesus said:-"The spirit within gives life, the flesh alone is worthless" (John 6:63 )”
by hanley2010
Thursday, September 13 2012, 6:14PM
“When our lovely dog was put to sleep at home, i said to the vet i hope i could go that way. Why not, we dont want to see animals suffer so why loved ones?”
by CharlieDodd
Thursday, September 13 2012, 4:53PM
“Popping a suicide pill is a nice quick clean way out for anybody at the end of their tether, shame on the cruel and heartless do-gooders who prefer that somebody should linger on in pain and distress for years..”
by Kudov
Thursday, September 13 2012, 3:24PM
“trudie2010 I'm interested - What is so bad about suicide in your opinion? Why don't you believe it is acceptable?”
by gadew
Thursday, September 13 2012, 3:18PM
“I cannot help but think that it is none of our damned business. A seemingly honorable and fulfilled man elects to spare his family and himself from inevitable pain and suffering. It SHOULD be the norm. He is a hero to his loved ones, whether that fits in your world view or not. The real shame is that what passes for society now should have the ability to prolong misery as a matter of course - that the 'norm' is that one must sneak-around or otherwise find ways around an ignorant system to provide simple (and in this case permanent) relief from suffering - that taking care and control of your final destiny and your loved ones ultimate well-being is criminalized by busybodies who really aught to look to their own rather than concern themselves with others who are doing them NO harm. Self-righteousness? Fear? Dogma? Not sure, but if we need to be allowed to move past this. Personally, I think I would have stuck it out to the very end, but with luck I won't meet my end through such a disease. However, life's a terminal event - one should be allowed to meet his end - regardless of the reason - on his own terms.”