Relatives of a British couple are doing their very best to forgive and move on following a horrific tragedy. In September of 2022, Chris Stone-Houghton and Ruth Stone-Houghton died in a murder-suicide inside their Portsmouth home. Their family blames the health care system for their parents’ death. Chris Stone-Houghton left a psychiatric hospital just weeks before killing his wife and then himself. The family’s tragedy points a finger at the state of mental health care in the United Kingdom and questions whether it failed the pair and their family.
The couple’s children, Oliver Stone-Houghton and Abbie Stone-Houghton, opened up to the BBC about their parents’ devastating deaths. They made something clear from the very beginning: They never placed blame on their father.
“We don’t need to forgive him. I never once questioned that it was anything other than his illness,” Oliver Stone-Houghton shared.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the family’s jewelry business, like many, began to struggle. It eventually was shuttered in April 2022, not long before the Stone-Houghtons’ deaths. As time went on, Chris Stone-Houghton became paranoid, worried that he was being watched. It was a far cry from the life the family once lived.
“We had such a brilliant childhood, and even in their adult life we were so close with both of them,” Abbie Stone-Houghton said, per the outlet.
Oliver Stone-Houghton added that their father began having suicidal thoughts and worried he had nothing to offer the world. After a suicide attempt in July 2022, he entered James’ Hospital in Portsmouth, run by The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, the BBC reported. The father was treated in a mental health ward. His family expected treatment to last months, but instead it was only a few weeks.
Ruth Stone-Houghton reportedly worried about her husband’s propensity for self-harm behavior after his release.
“We didn’t really get any advice on what to do, what not to do,” Abbie Stone-Houghton recalled. “We were just doing what we thought was right and just hoping for the best, really.”
Weeks later, Chris Stone-Houghton took his life and his wife’s. Per ITV, Coroner Rachel Spearing said during the inquest that Chris Stone-Houghton’s release was “unsafe due to an inadequate risk assessment concerning the care plan.” She did not, however, find the release “causative or contributory” to the couple’s deaths.
Spearing added that Chris Stone-Houghton did not appear to be a threat to his wife. “All indicators were that he was making a positive recovery, complying via a routine with medications, denying any suicidal thoughts with hope, positive interactions with friends and future planning,” she said, according to ITV. “There was never any expressed indication or history of genuine concern for his harming Ruth.”
Hospital officials did not accept responsibility but did offer words of support for the family.
“We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ruth and Christopher and our thoughts are with everyone affected. We also recognise the family’s strength and dignity throughout what has been an incredibly difficult process,” Dr. Daniel Baylis, chief medical officer, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust,” shared in a statement obtained by ITV.
“Whilst the coroner found that the care we provided did not contribute to the tragic outcome, we have learnt from this case, and others, to continually improve how we care for and support people who are in a mental health crisis, and their families,” Baylis added.
According to Oliver Stone-Houghton, the family tried to get Chris Stone-Houghton more help but were denied. The NHS’s trust cutoff age for the service was 65, and their father was 66.
“Had he had that treatment, we don’t know what would have happened,” the devastated son added.
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
