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Speed inquest: suicide texts, row with wife before death

Comment: 0 January 31st, 2012

Statements from the ongoing inquest into the death of Welsh footballer Gary Speed revealed that the player and manager had exchanged words with his wife hours before his death.

Additional information also included text messages she received from Speed days before the fateful night hinting at taking his life.

Speed’s widow Louise recalled how five days before the 42-year old’s death, Gary “talked in terms of taking his own life and then he moved on and talked about moving forward and how important the boys were to him.

“It was in the context of the ups and downs of our marriage,” said Louise, 41, as quoted by the Irish Times.  “The texts went on about our future together and how excited he was about our journey together.”

The statements came with a narrative verdict produced by coroner Nicholas Rheinberg, who was examining the circumstances surrounding the unexplained death.  According to Rheinberg, he was not entirely convinced as to whether Speed’s death was on purpose, or by accident.

At the Warrington Coroner’s Court, Louise further recalled how the couple had a row on their way back  in a taxi from a dinner party hours before his body was found in the garage of their home.

“[We] had an exchange of words about something and nothing,” Mrs. Speed was quoted as saying.  “Like all couples we would be going through ups and downs in our marriage and we were working through it. “

She then went on to recall how she planned on going for a drive that night, but was blocked by Gary who insisted she wasn’t going anywhere.

“I went upstairs and lay on the bed for probably about five or 10 minutes,” Louise said.  “Then I decided to go for a drive, to clear my mind [and for] space to think.”

Further answering Rheinberg’s questions, she said she drove until she reached “the top of the road,” and then stopped to ring Gary’s mobile, which was left unanswered.  She returned to the house to again try to get him on his phone, but failed.

“I decided to keep the car running and stay there until I could get into the house,” she explained.   She then decided to sleep in the car until about 6 am the next day.  Upon waking and making her way to the outside bathroom she said she noticed some shed keys missing.

After checking the shed, Louise then checked the garage where she found her husband.

“I went to the window and there I saw him,” she said, recalling how Speed’s toes were just above the stairs.

She then recalled woke her children to get the house open and after cutting Speed down to the ground called the paramedics.

Louise’s statements came with those of the cab driver who saw the Speeds home from the dinner party, the paramedics, a police inspector, and former English captain Alan Shearer.

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