A FORMER teacher, who killed his wife before killing himself, had always acted out of “care and love” for her, an inquest has heard.

Husband and wife Linsey and Jane Sargeant were found dead at their home in Orchid Meadow, Pwllmeyric on Wednesday, October 4 of last year.

An inquest at Newport Coroner’s Court on Thursday, February 22 heard documentary evidence from the couple’s sons, Mark and David, who described them as having a “good relationship”.

Wendy James, the senior coroner for Gwent, ruled that the death of Mr Sargeant, 71, was suicide by hanging.

The cause of death of his wife, 70, - also a former teacher - who had been diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's disease and dementia, was unlawful killing by smothering.

The inquest heard that the couple had met university and married in their mid-20s, were described as "very much devoted to one another".

Reading the evidence of the couple’s sons, Miss James added that Mr Sargeant was also struggling with the effects of irritable bowel syndrome and colitis.

“He always put on a brave face,” said Miss James, reading the son’s evidence, “he never complained,” adding he was most likely “suffering in silence”.

Mrs Sargeant was diagnosed with early on-set Parkinson’s approximately 10 years before her death, and later dementia, and was cared for unitality by her husband.

“My father was caring for her,” said the couple’s sons.

The couple eventually accepted home care assistance, the inquest heard, so that Mr Sargeant could get respite to “get the shopping or to run general errands”.

However, in 2016, Mrs Sargeant, described as “caring, loving and very personable” by her sons, was admitted to the Bryn Ivor care home in Newport.

“He would visit my mother on a daily basis,” said Mark and David Sargeant, adding their father would visit the home regularly between 10am and 4pm, viewing it as a “full-time job”.

“He did it out of care and love for my mother,” said the couple’s sons.

The inquest heard that Mr Sargeant was a “private” and “proud” man but would later admit that he had “four years of savings left before he had to contemplate selling the house”.

“His actions were not financially motivated whatsoever,” said the couple’s sons in their documentary evidence.

The inquest heard that Mr Sargeant visited the care home and took his wife out for the day, before they were found dead at the Pwllmeyric property.

In her ruling, Miss James said: “Mr and Mrs Sargeant were devoted to each other and had been together since their late teens when they met at university where they were studying teaching.

“On October 3, Mr Sargeant went to the care home and took Mrs Sargeant out for the day.

“When they did not return later that day, staff became concerned.

“Mr Sargeant would have been feeling utterly desperate at that time, late on October 3.

“Throughout his life he had cared for his wife.”