There were “failings” in the care of former England cricketer Graham Thorpe in the months before he died, a coroner has said.
Speaking at Surrey Coroner’s Court on Friday, coroner Jonathan Stevens recorded a conclusion of suicide at an inquest into Thorpe’s death on 4 August last year.
He died at a railway station in Surrey after being struck by a train.
On Thursday, Mr Stevens read a statement during the inquest from Thorpe’s GP, Joan Munnelly, detailing that the cricketer was diagnosed with anxiety and depression in 2018.
The inquest also heard Thorpe tried to take his own life in 2022, and his wife, Amanda Thorpe, said an incident involving a leaked video in Australia left him “distraught”.
Mr Stevens noted on Friday that the last time Thorpe was seen in person by healthcare professionals was on 20 March 2024.
‘Clear’ shortcomings in care, coroner says
“In my judgment, there were shortcomings in the care that should have been provided to Graham in the last four months or so of his life,” the coroner told the inquest.
Mr Stevens added that “there were failings in the provision of his care”, but said he cannot, on the evidence, conclude that the failures were gross – and so he cannot conclude that Thorpe would not have died if it were not for the failures.
However, he continued: “It’s clear there were shortcomings in his care.
“If he had been seen in those last four months, particularly after that incident on 28 June, I cannot say whether it would or would not have made any difference.”
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Amirthalingam Baheerathan previously told the inquest that Thorpe had missed an appointment that day.
The inquest heard Thorpe tried to take his own life in 2022. Pic: PA
‘Someone should have gone to see him’
Dr Baheerathan said the cricketer told care co-ordinator Katie Johnson he “hadn’t been out for a while” and “didn’t see the point of being here”, but had no immediate plans to act on suicidal thoughts and had agreed to come for follow-up appointments.
The coroner said in his judgement that Thorpe “found it hard to attend these” and that “someone should have gone to see him to properly monitor and assess him, to do a face-to-face risk assessment and understand and address his care needs as required by the care plan”.
The inquest also heard on Friday that Thorpe was assessed not to be in a “crisis situation” by healthcare professionals after they were told he had asked his wife for “help to end his life” before he died.
Mr Stevens said: “I don’t accept that when Graham was constantly asking his wife to help him end his life, which was a new presentation… that he was not at that point in crisis.”
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Speaking outside the court in Woking, Mrs Thorpe said: “We will never get over the tragic loss of Graham, and we miss him every day.
“He was my best friend, my soulmate, and he was just a joy. And he loved life – but he got very ill.”
Regarded as one of the finest batters of his generation, Thorpe played 100 Tests for England, scoring 16 centuries and featuring 82 times for the ODI side.
He coached England’s batters and had a 17-year career with Surrey.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
