Tributes paid to 'real gentleman' found dead in Crawley

Tributes have been paid to a 'gentle soul' who took his own life in Crawley after he had to move house following the death of his mother.
Roger LunnRoger Lunn
Roger Lunn

An inquest at Crawley Coroner’s Court on Tuesday (June 18) heard that Roger Lunn, 58, was found dead at his home address, where he lived alone, in Clive Way, after he had not turned up for work on Wednesday, February 27.

The inquest heard that Roger struggled to cope with the death of his mother, whom he had been the carer for.

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Speaking after the inquest, Roger's brother Andy, 61, said the death of their mum left a 'massive hole' in 'grief stricken' Roger's life.

Roger LunnRoger Lunn
Roger Lunn

He said: "Our mum was diagnosed with dementia. Roger took on the carer role and he did a totally amazing job after we made the decision to keep mum at home.

"She was thriving but she suffered a massive stroke and when she died it left a massive hole. They lived in a council house. My dad was the first named tenant, then my mum, then it stopped. Roger was told he had to leave. He also could not keep his pet cat, which he was really fond of."

The inquest heard that when Roger was evicted, he was told he would have to live in a flat.

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The coroner's officer Melanie Doyle read out a statement pre-written by Andy, which said: "That upset him. He said it was the worst nightmare he could imagine.

Order of service from Roger's funeralOrder of service from Roger's funeral
Order of service from Roger's funeral

"We told him to go the doctors. If he did, he may have been diagnosed with depression. There was an inevitability. He thought nothing good could come out of the situation."

The inquest heard that 'keen biker' and animal lover Roger also had a strong interest in cars and 'took great pride in his work' as a TNT driver for 24 years.

In his pre-written statement, Andy said: "Roger was a gentle soul. He was not outgoing but he did make time for his friends."

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Speaking afterwards, he added: "He did not take a day off work. His main passion was animals and their welfare. He was caring. He didn't realise how many friends he had. He was an introvert who kept himself to himself but he had a lot of friends.

"He supported charities like WWF and Cats Protection. He gave away thousands."

Andy's partner Penny Cutler, 60, continued: "Roger was a real gentleman. He had proper manners. He was a real good egg."

The inquest heard that, at 1pm on Wednesday, February 27, Andy phoned Roger, who 'seemed agitated'.

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Ms Doyle said the agitation 'wasn't anything unusual and he would usually calm down'. However it turned out to be the brothers' last conversation.

Ms Doyle said concerns were raised when Roger had not turned up for work as that was 'very unusual'.

She added: "There was no answer at his front door. The police attended and used forcible entry to get inside.

"Roger was found at the bottom of the staircase. He was confirmed deceased at the scene. The post mortem examination confirmed the death was caused by hanging."

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Assistant coroner for West Sussex, Joanne Andrews, recorded a conclusion of suicide before offering her 'sincere condolences' to the family.

She said: "I am satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that Roger did intend to take his own life."

Anyone affected by this article, or who needs support, can speak to the Samaritans – free and at any time – by calling 116 123. For more information about the Samaritans, visit www.samaritans.org.

To donate to Cats Protection, please visit https://www.cats.org.uk/.