A WISEMANS Bridge woman, suffering from depression, took her life while her husband was out shopping, an inquest heard.

The body of 89-year-old Mary Thomas was found at her home, Culverton, by her husband David on August 11.

At the November 15 inquest, held at Milford Haven Town Hall, Coroner’s Officer Jeremy Davies said Toronto-born Mrs Thomas had moved to Wales with her family in 1930, later moving to Pembrokeshire during her first marriage.

Mrs Thomas, formerly a secretary, had worked in a variety of retail roles in Pembrokeshire, ending her career in the 1990s at Audrey Bull jewellers.

She had generally enjoyed health, other than a stroke in 2012, from which she made a full recovery.

Some 18 months before her death Mrs Thomas had fractured her pelvis in a fall; she is believed to have lost confidence and suffered from anxiety since that date.

Three weeks before her death, Mrs Thomas’ daughter, worried the anxiety was becoming depression, had arranged for home GP visits.

Mrs Thomas’s behaviour was worsening, and she was becoming depressed.

She routinely went shopping in Carmarthen with her husband each Saturday, but, on August 11, she said she did not want to go with him.

He went on the regular shop while Mrs Thomas stayed at home, asking him to call ahead of his return.

Mr Thomas phoned at 3pm, arriving back at 4.

He called to his wife on his return, to no response.

Mrs Thomas was found suffocated in a living room area.

Her lips were blue, and she was not breathing.

Mrs Thomas’s daughter and her partner, who lived nearby, were called, and emergency services alerted.

She was officially stated to have passed away at 4.37pm that day.

A post-mortem report by Dr John Murphy gave the cause of Mrs Thomas’ death as due to asphyxiation.

Reaching a conclusion of suicide, HM Coroner for Pembrokeshire Mark Layton said: “Following a fall Mrs Thomas began to suffer from a depressive illness; she has taken deliberate steps to end her life.”

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