'Devoted' Husband Refused To Leave Bed-Bound Wife's Side During House Fire

A pensioner who died after refusing to leave his bed-bound wife during a house fire has been called 'selfless' at an inquest into their deaths.

Roger Freestone, 67, and his wife, Maureen, 65, perished after a gas fire caused a cardboard box to catch alight before it spread to the curtains.

Credit: SWNS

The inquest heard that the couple were hoarders, which led to 'large amounts of combustible material throughout the property' as well as no viable escape route.

The property also had a number of gas canisters, which led to explosions. The fire service struggled to gain access to the property to put the flames out, as the kitchen door was blocked.

Fortunately, two care workers who were in the property to look after Maureen managed to escape, the Metro reports.

David Heming, senior coroner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said of Roger: "Rather than attempt to leave the property where there was a clear opportunity to as well, he stayed, no doubt realising that his wife would not be able to extricate herself."

He added that Roger's 'devotion' to his wife was likely to be what caused him to go back into the bedroom and make no further attempts to leave.

Both were found to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation, with Maureen's existing health condition also a factor. The coroner ruled the deaths as accidental.

Featured image credit: SWNS

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Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

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