Elderly couple die in Whitby suicide pact, inquest told

An elderly couple with no children died in a suicide pact after a long battle with bone cancer, a North Yorkshire coroner’s inquest was told. David Jeffcock, 80, and Susan Jeffcock, 74, set out from their flat overlooking Whitby Harbour on the evening of July 30 and walked toward the town’s cliff-top route, following a path that would end with a leap from the rocks. They crossed Whitby Bridge, then slowly climbed the 199 steps up to Whitby Abbey, pausing to acknowledge another walker before moving toward East Cliff and joining hands as they leapt about 180 feet to their deaths. They had prepared for the day by cleaning their rented apartment and leaving a note for their solicitor explaining the drastic step they planned to take.

The note for the solicitor apologized for any shock their deaths might cause but included the line: "Susan wants to come with me." David’s nephew, Kevin Shepherd, 66, said the couple’s devotion to each other was absolute and that they had perhaps been planning such a step for some time. Shepherd, who is a funeral celebrant in South Yorkshire, described his uncle as having been a sociable man who grew withdrawn during his battle with cancer and chronic pain. He said David had told him the Gabapentin he was taking was not helping much and that the pain had become unmanageable.

The pair’s daily life had revolved around caring for David as his illness progressed. With no children, Susan shouldered the household duties and his daily care, watching as his condition worsened in the months before their final day. Shepherd said the couple liked to socialise in Whitby’s pubs and enjoy live music, and they had formed a strong sense that Whitby was home. They had found a holiday apartment nearby about ten years earlier and had made it their long-term residence when they were not traveling.

David was born in Sheffield and lived there for much of his life before retiring. He spent time in Australia under the Assisted Passage Scheme before returning to England to work as a postman, a taxi driver, and then a bus driver for the city council for 21 years, during which he ferried older residents and school children alike. Susan, a longtime professional who served as a personal assistant to a director at Stanley Tools, was described by relatives as lively, music-loving, and fond of accordion playing before illness gradually altered their daily lives. Her cousin Margaret Atherton, 70, recalled that Susan’s warmth remained a defining feature even as the couple faced severe health challenges.

In the days that followed, the inquest at Northallerton heard that the couple’s deaths were classified as "multi-trauma" by a pathologist. North Yorkshire Police described how emergency services were alerted at about 19:15 BST after a member of the public spotted two people on the rocks and the tide moving in quickly. Coastguards coordinated a helicopter rescue, but the couple could not be saved. The inquest into their deaths was opened and adjourned with no further details released at that session, and a date for the resumption was to be fixed.

Kevin Shepherd said, in reflecting on his uncle and aunt’s choice, that it was not a decision taken lightly and that the couple had always looked after each other. He cautioned that while their choice is heartrending, it reflected their own philosophy and affection for one another. "They were a very loving and devoted couple, but they were also full of fun and outgoing; you’d always find them in the pubs around Whitby enjoying live music, which was one of their great interests," he said. "The last time I saw them, my Uncle David really wasn’t himself. He was withdrawn and clearly struggling with the pain. He told me that the Gabapentin wasn’t having much effect and that he was really struggling with the pain. It looks as though in the end it was just too much."

The family’s decision to share their story with the Daily Mail underscored the tragedy and highlighted the couple’s enduring bond. Relatives noted that the pair had always sought to consider others and were meticulous in tending to their affairs, even on their final day. Shepherd recounted discovering that David had delivered the note to the Whitby solicitor’s office in person, a gesture that underscored their intention to manage the consequences of their actions with care.

Although the couple did not belong to a religious tradition, family members said they believed they would be together in some form after death, which offered them some solace in their final moments. The inquest’s continuation will determine whether any further public health lessons can be drawn from their case, though authorities cautioned that staff cannot disclose additional details pending further proceedings. The community in Whitby has responded with a mix of sorrow and reflection, as neighbors recall the couple’s warmth and commitment to one another as a reminder of the fragile nature of life for those living with chronic illness.