An elderly Irish couple left a haunting note before taking their own lives amid illness and isolation.
An inquest has heard how an elderly couple, Tony and Phyllis Gilbert, were found dead in their bungalow in Kenmare, County Kerry, after leaving behind a haunting message.
The pair, both 83, were discovered on November 14, 2021, when their daughter-in-law, Beryl, arrived with groceries and noticed an A4 note pinned to the door. The chilling message read: “All going to plan we should be dead.” The note directed her to alert police and provided the location of a key.
Officers entered the property and found the couple deceased in separate beds. A tape recorder with two voice recordings was discovered, in which Mr Gilbert said they had been “together in life” and intended to be “together in sleep.”
Post-mortem results confirmed the couple died after ingesting a toxic substance. Mrs Gilbert had been battling stage four pancreatic cancer, while the pandemic had led the couple to withdraw from social contact.
The coroner, Aisling Quilter, ruled their deaths as suicide, describing the case as “traumatic.” Residents remembered Mr Gilbert as “talented and artistic,” while family members said the couple were inseparable.