Burghclere woman may have hit a ‘pain crisis’ - inquest

Sally Rossiter-Larkins, aged 66, died at her large, secluded home, on January 18, after taking an overdose of painkillers the inquest heard.
Following post mortem and toxicology tests, north-east Hampshire coroner Andrew Bradley, recorded an overdose as the cause of death. Mrs Rossiter-Larkins’ husband Jeffrey said that his wife had incurred multiple pelvis fractures after falling downstairs four years ago and, although the breaks had healed, was experiencing increasing pain about which a pain consultant had said that there was nothing he could do.
Mr Rossiter-Larkins said: “She had a ketamine infusion as a last resort, but it had absolutely no effect on her.” Last October, Mrs Rossiter-Larkins suffered a stroke, after which she spent recovery time in hospital and a care home, followed by intensive physiotherapy which caused her “more and more pain” said her husband. “She had a very incisive brain, but became very depressed and probably reached a tipping point where she couldn’t see things doing anything else but getting worse,” said Mr Rossiter-Larkins.
“She vowed that she would not go back to hospital and never, ever wanted to go back in a care home – she was very independent.” He said his wife had told him that she didn’t want anyone else but him to look after her, but he said that he had concerns about his own health, as he suffered from high blood pressure. “She was obsessed something would happen to me,” he said, adding that he suspected his wife had hit a “pain crisis”.
Her death came the day after she had received some intensive physiotherapy, which had left her exhausted, Mr Rossiter-Larkins said. He went to bed upstairs, leaving her downstairs where she slept. At around 7.30am the next day, he discovered his wife with a plastic bag over her head and telephoned emergency services. Dc Craig Ferguson of Basingstoke CID, who was called to the scene, said he found Mrs Rossiter-Larkins dead in her bedroom. There were also three cups containing the remnants of white powder, a large store of tablets, and a handwritten letter stating ‘do not resuscitate’.
Recording a verdict of suicide, Mr Bradley said the death was “not a rehearsal” but “clearly a committed decision.”