‘Romeo and Juliet’ Married couple, die in suicide pact after 50 years together

Married couple Geoffrey, 89, and Ida Platt, 90, plotted their tragic deaths after “wanting to walk through the pearly gates together”, an inquest heard.

The couple had spent 50 years together before taking an overdose in a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ style suicide pact, which left Ida passing away while heartbroken Geoffrey survived.

Geoffrey spent three months at the empty home that they shared together in Lancs, England, before honouring the tragic pact he made with his wife and taking his own life.

Geoffrey was later found hanging in his flat last year, after telling his niece and main carer Janet Jackson that he loved her.

An inquest into the couple’s death heard how they had travelled the world together despite Geoffrey’s battle with PTSD, following a mining accident in New Zealand in his younger years.

Ida’s own health had deteriorated in recent years, Niece Janet told the hearing her aunt, who was “intelligent, artistic and creative”, was “a perfect match” for her uncle who was “passionate and opinionated”.

The couple both took tablets to follow through with the suicide pact when a neighbour found them unresponsive after noticing that the front door was open.

The couple were rushed to hospital where Ida had initially survived telling her niece she was “angry” she hadn’t died.

Ida’s life, tragically took a turn for the worse, and later died 6 days later leaving her life long husband behind.

Geoffrey was later discharged from hospital, but never recovered, he was left with a “weight on his shoulders” after being interviewed by police officers in connection with his wife’s death and began drinking heavily, wearing the same clothes.

In the following months concerns were raised by the treatment team about his mental health, a worried carer had gone to his flat where he was found hanged.

Recording two verdicts of suicide, coroner Rachel Syed described the couple as a “modern-day Romeo and Juliet”.

She added: “This was a tragic set of circumstances in the truest sense of the word.”