A TALENTED artist who was once creative director of a top advertising company took his own life after telling a friend he would do so if things became “unbearable”.
Roger Preston (78) was described by close friend Nigel Cammegh as a “unique individual” who was “well liked and admired”.
He had known him for 55 years and in a statement read out at Bournemouth Coroners’ Court, he said Mr Preston had been a “wonderful artist” whose work had been exhibited in the UK.
He had also enjoyed amateur dramatics and was involved with the Balloon Theatre in Christchurch at one time.
Mr Cammegh said that following a bad fall in the ‘80s, Mr Preston, of Avon Wharf, Christchurch, was left with a bad back and had lost his job as a result.
He struggled to walk and could not sit for very long, but despite his hardships Mr Cammegh said his friend had remained “very kind, talented and popular”.
Mr Preston had also been diagnosed with blood cancer and had told his friend that he would consider “ending his life if things became unbearable”.
While in hospital in January 2024, he was said by Mr Cammegh to look “a lot older” and had “seemed down, but said he was fine”.
The pair last spoke on 16th January, when Mr Preston had spent time reminiscing about their time together; he was said to be “happy and upbeat”.
But around a week after the call on 27th January neighbours alerted a care worker as they had not seen Mr Preston for a while and there were “parcels piling up on his doorstep”.
The care worker forced entry to Mr Preston’s flat and found him dead in bed. There was a note left with a last will and testament dated 18th November 2023 left on the stairs.
Police attended and found that Mr Preston had suffocated himself. A post mortem revealed that he had a level of morphine in his body that was within a therapeutic range, but in someone not used to taking the drug it could have a “severe” toxic affect.
He had died of a hypoxic brain injury due to lack of oxygen.
Coroner Brendan Allen ruled Mr Preston had committed suicide after speaking to a friend about the fact that ill health had had a “massive impact on the quality of his life”.
