“We don’t need to forgive him,” said Oliver Stone‑Houghton. “It was the illness.” Speaking after the inquest into the deaths of his parents, Chris and Ruth, he and his sister Abbie were clear: they do not blame their dad.

Oliver and Abbie described devoted parents who were inseparable and gave them a happy upbringing. “We had such a brilliant childhood,” Abbie said, recalling a tight‑knit family that stayed close into adulthood.

Chris ran a jewellery business, with Ruth helping in the shop. When the pandemic hit and trade fell away, the company finally closed in April 2022. That collapse marked the start of a rapid decline. Chris became paranoid, convinced his devices were listening, and talked about ending his life. “He didn’t feel like he had anything to offer anymore,” Oliver remembered.

By July 2022 he had attempted to take his own life. He was sectioned to the mental health ward at St James’ Hospital in Portsmouth, run by the local NHS trust. The family expected months of care. Instead, he was discharged within four weeks against their wishes. Ruth told staff she was frightened he would harm himself again.

A consultant psychiatrist, Dr Denzel Mitchell, told the inquest the discharge was influenced by the absence of self‑harm or psychotic episodes on the ward. The coroner, Rachel Spearing, accepted the decision as “appropriate” in principle but said it was carried out “unsafely”, with an inadequate risk assessment that did not take full account of how he refused antipsychotic medication at home.

The inquest heard the burden of medication management fell on the family, yet Ruth had no formal carer’s assessment. Ms Spearing found it was “unlikely” Chris had taken his medication at the time of the deaths. Abbie said they were given little practical guidance after discharge: “We were just doing what we thought was right and hoping for the best.”

Access to treatment was patchy. There was no psychologist on the ward, so he received no psychological therapy in hospital. Twice, the community crisis team requested Early Intervention in Psychosis support on his return home. Both referrals were denied because the trust’s age cut‑off was 65; Chris was 66. “Had he had that treatment, we don’t know what would have happened,” Oliver said. Instead, he faced a year‑long wait for specialist talking therapy.

On 14 September 2022, Chris killed Ruth at their Portsmouth home before taking his own life. The coroner concluded he was in the likely grip of a psychotic episode. She said the deaths could not have been predicted and described Chris and Ruth as a loving, happy couple.

The siblings have chosen to preserve that memory. “We know in our hearts Dad wasn’t capable of this as a sane, rational person,” Oliver said. “It was the illness.” The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust offered “deepest condolences” and said it has learned from the case to improve how it supports people in crisis and their families.

This is a South Coast tragedy with lessons that travel. Readers across the North will recognise the themes: age rules that shut people out, long waits for therapy, and families left to carry the load after discharge. Safe care doesn’t end at the ward doors; it depends on what follows in the community.

If you need support, speak to your GP, call NHS 111, or contact Samaritans free on 116 123. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999.