Whitby elderly couple dies in suicide pact after battle with bone cancer
An 80-year-old man and his 74-year-old wife, who had no children, took a final walk together after David Jeffcock’s battle with terminal cancer intensified, leaving a note for their solicitor.
In Whitby, an elderly couple set out on what they believed would be their final life journey together, leaving their flat overlooking Whitby Harbour to walk to a point above Whitby Abbey before leaping to their deaths. David Jeffcock, 80, and his wife Susan, 74, died after a joint decision made on a day they had meticulously prepared for. They left a note for their solicitor apologizing for any shock their deaths might cause and stating simply: “Susan wants to come with me.” The couple had no children, and David had been living with bone cancer, his pain described by family as steadily worsening in the months before their final day.
The two were described by relatives as deeply devoted, a sentiment reinforced by their 52-year marriage. Kevin Shepherd, 66, David’s nephew, said the pair had been preparing for a long time, noting that David had become withdrawn as his condition deteriorated. He told how the pain from bone cancer and inadequate relief from medications like Gabapentin left David struggling with daily life, and how the couple’s bond had grown only stronger in the face of that hardship. They were known for their warmth and for enjoying Whitby’s social scene, often seen in pubs listening to live music, a pastime they cherished.
On the day they died, the couple walked first across the harbour bridge and then up the 199 steps to Whitby Abbey. After pausing to smile at another pedestrian, they moved behind the abbey, slipped a fence, and stood briefly at the cliff’s edge before joining hands and jumping about 180 feet to their deaths. A member of the public later reported seeing a man and a woman on the rocks, and the coastguard coordinated a response that included a helicopter to reach them before the rising tide.
The inquest into their deaths was opened in Northallerton on Monday by North Yorkshire coroner Jon Heath and was adjourned pending further proceedings. A pathologist recorded the cause of death as multi-trauma. North Yorkshire Police described the events as a tragedy and declined to provide further detail beyond confirming that emergency services were called around 19:15 BST on the day of the incident.
From Sheffield to Whitby: the couple’s move to the coast about a decade ago reflected a shared sense that Whitby felt like home. They initially lived in Skegness, then settled into a coastal flat and a holiday apartment they had previously rented during visits. Their decision to relocate came after David’s retirement, and they embraced the seascape as their sanctuary. Susan’s cousin Margaret Atherton, 70, recalled that Susan was lively and music-loving, while Kevin Shepherd noted they could be found enjoying life together, whether in a pub or at a live music event. In the family accounts, the couple’s love was matched by a pragmatic, careful approach to their life together, extending to the way they prepared their affairs and communicated their decisions with those around them.
The inquest proceeding will be resumed at a date to be fixed. Police and coroner officials emphasized that the opening hearing supplied the basic framework for the inquiry and that further steps would determine if any additional investigations or statements are warranted. The case has cast a poignant light on end-of-life choices and the experiences of patients and caregivers contending with terminal illness, underscoring the human dimension of medical pain, palliative care, and the solace some seek in companionship at life’s end.