Suicide woman feared she would die of disease like her mother

Jeni Harvey

A WOMAN who feared she would die from motor neurone disease, like her own mother, rigged up a petrol generator to kill herself with carbon monoxide fumes.

Both Melvillee Denton and her husband of 33 years Stephen Denton, both 59, died in the bedroom of their home in Fulwood, Sheffield, last November.

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The successful couple, who had a holiday home in South Africa, owned Orgreave-based gearbox suppliers Sheffield Transmission Developments. Prior to her death, Mrs Denton had discussed taking her own life with her family, and had thought about booking herself into the Dignitas euthanasia clinic in Switzerland.

On the date of her eventual suicide she had written in her diary: “My death.” At an inquest in Sheffield, assistant deputy coroner Donald Coutts-Wood recorded a verdict of suicide on Mrs Denton, but said he could not be sure that her husband also intended to kill himself.

Her husband was found “slumped” on a chair in the same room. Their daughter Leilah Hiller told the inquest that her mother talked about how difficult it was caring for her own mother, who died in early 40s from motor neurone disease

She said: “She made it quite clear it was an awful experience and that she would not want us to go through the same thing.”

Mr Coutts-Wood recorded a verdict of suicide for Mrs Denton and recorded a narrative verdict for Mr Denton, saying: “I can't say I can be sure he wanted to end his own life.”

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