A friend has revealed that a man who committed suicide shortly after discovering his fiancée dead was plagued by “disgusting” false accusations that he was to blame.
In January of last year, Craig Daffern, a 35-year-old gardener from Blackpool, found Jenny Shanley, 36, in the lavatory at their residence in the Lancashire village of Westby.
After texting a buddy, “I’ve had enough but I love you all,” his death was discovered three days later in a small village, close to a telephone exchange facility.
A coroner found last week that Jenny, who had three children by a previous partner, had taken her own life ‘impulsively’ after becoming ‘significantly intoxicated’ on cocaine and alcohol.
Post-mortem tests and police investigations found no evidence of violence or foul play toward Jenny, who suffered from financial worries and had said loved ones would be ‘better off without her’.
One of Craig’s best friends has since revealed the grieving boyfriend’s mental health spiralled aftrer he was repeatedly ‘blamed for what happened to her’.
The friend, wishing to remain anonymous, told LancsLive: ‘After Jenny’s death Craig talked to his friends about what people were saying on social media and it absolutely broke him.
‘He was pushed to suicide by those comments and I can’t even begin to imagine how he felt when he took his own life.’
The last text he received from Craig said: ‘I can’t do this anymore.’
The friend added: ‘I just hope that those people who made those comments, and they know who they are, realise the consequences of their actions.
‘All of Craig’s family have been dignified in not responding but someone had to speak out so that people know why Craig did what he did.’
Jenny’s mum told the inquest her daughter had overdosed on sleeping pills when her marriage broke down four years earlier but had ‘more recently been in a happy place’.
She said their relationship had been ‘volatile’ and that Craig had texted her the night before Jenny’s death saying she needed to ‘knock the drinking and sniffing on the head’.
One of Jenny’s friends police that the couple were ‘very happy’ together and she had never seen any evidence of violence between them.
Craig’s friends have since said he planned to propose to her during an upcoming trip to Land’s end.
Returning a narrative conclusion the coroner said: ‘The family appear to think that because Craig chose to end his life a few days later that means he was involved. There has been some suggestion they had a volatile relationship but there has been no criminal prosecutions and I am also conscious of the fact Craig isn’t able to answer those assertions.
‘At the time she died Jennifer was significantly intoxicated and had taken cocaine and that may have affected her judgement. She had talked about how stressful her life was and there may have been some money worries. Craig wasn’t happy about her cocaine use, particularly on that night.
‘I think that by the time she died she was affected by the cocaine and alcohol and made an impulsive decision she might not have made otherwise. I am of the view that Jennifer would not have died had it not been for the cocaine use.’
After the inquest, Craig’s sister Heather said: ‘We are all still heartbroken beyond belief but in time we will come to terms with this utter tragedy of losing such a happy couple who loved each other so much.
‘Craig loved Jennifer and simply couldn’t live without her and we hope everyone can now move forward.’