Dead Parents ‘Cared For’ By Mentally-ill Son

A mentally ill man continued to feed and care for his dead elderly parents because he thought they were still alive, an inquest has heard.

John Dumsday, 85, was badly decomposed and infested with maggots when he was found dead in his chair at the family home in Southbourne, Dorset.

The pensioner, who played football for Queens Park Rangers in his youth, was found with napkins from the efforts of his son, Paul, to continue feeding him.

His 83-year-old wife Christine, was found wearing a personal stereo that was still playing music, when their bodies were found on August 25 last year.

She had died more recently but both bodies had bandaged legs and smelling bottles under their noses.

A post-mortem examination showed she had died of natural causes due to heart disease, malnutrition and an undetected tumour in her kidney.

Mr Dumsday was too badly decomposed and his cause of death was unascertained, Bournemouth, Poole and East Dorset Coroner’s Court heard.

Coroner’s officer Michael Humphries said: “His nose and eye had been eaten away by maggots.

“His son had been feeding him although he was deceased. She was wearing a walkman still playing music and also had two smelling bottles under her nose.

“The son, who had mental problems, thought his parents were still alive.

“He was taken away by police and later admitted to St Ann’s Hospital.”

The inquest heard Mrs Dumsday had been admitted to the same psychiatric hospital in Poole suffering from delusions of impending doom and muteness in 1991 but discharged herself.

Coroner Sheriff Payne recorded a verdict of natural causes for Mrs Dumsday and an open verdict for her husband.

He added: “It would appear that their son, who had mental health problems had attempted to continue care following his father’s death. He had been dead for some period prior to 25 August when both of them were found.”