Missing woman’s family agonised over care

Marlene Wagstaff, 77, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, was in a confused state when she went out for her daily walk in Hollym, near Withernsea, East Yorkshire, at 2.10pm on Friday July 22, last year.

She was reported missing that night when she failed to return home, and despite a large-scale police search, was not found until a farm worker saw her body in a drainage ditch on the outskirts of the village on Thursday November 3.

Because her body had decomposed the cause of her death could not be determined, although there were no suspicious circumstances. Hull and East Riding Coroner Geoffrey Saul said he could not be sure how Mrs Wagstaff died and recorded an open verdict.

Hull Coroner’s Court heard she had left home wearing two right shoes and turned right towards Withernsea before James, her husband of 57 years, called and told her she was going the wrong way.

Villager Andrew Steel noticed she was very “doddery” when she walked past his drive, while Joan Sanderson, another resident, thought she appeared to be her normal self when she cycled passed her, although she could not be seen when she went back out in her car minutes later.

The court heard the couple, who were originally from Castleford and have three children, had enjoyed walking and cycling together since moving to Hollym in 1983.

But because of her condition, Mrs Wagstaff was frustrated by her husband’s lack of mobility since he suffered a near-fatal stroke in August 2010, and occasionally became angry and attacked him.

Her family only became aware of how much she had deteriorated when they looked after her while their father was recuperating.

Speaking after yesterday’s hearing, Mrs Wagstaff’s son David described her as “lively, energetic, fun-loving and sometimes feisty”.

He added: “We were thinking that the time was probably right that she should be going into care, but when someone’s been married 50-plus years, trying to make that decision.... I wouldn’t like to make it.”