Crematorium worker, 53, who died while dangling upside down from top of 290ft chimney for 15 hours was victim of child abuse and left wife of 34 years after suffering 'mid-life crisis' weeks before death, inquest hears

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A cemetery worker who died hanging from the top of a 290ft chimney suffered childhood abuse and left his wife for another woman in the weeks leading up to his death, an inquest heard.

Grandfather Phil Longcake, 53, had left his wife of 34 years for work colleague Heather Wilson in the days before he climbed the structure near the centre of Carlisle, Cumbria.

Mrs Longcake described how she believed her estranged husband was suffering a 'mid-life crisis' while struggling with the memories of childhood abuse he had only recently disclosed.

Mr Longcake had been under the care of a mental health crisis team and had made what appeared to be an attempt on his own life a week before his death on the chimney.

A cemetery worker who died hanging from the top of a 290ft chimney suffered childhood abuse and left his wife for another woman in the weeks leading up to his death, an inquest heard

Both his estranged wife and his new partner were involved in a desperate search for the father of two, whose behaviour on the afternoon of Sunday October 27th last year had alarmed them both as well as his son and daughter.

That night Mr Longcake, who had worked since 2004 at Carlisle Cemetery, drove his van to the chimney - the height of Big Ben - and pushed open an insecure gate.

He then climbed a ladder up the side of the structure which was in place for engineering works, the hearing was told.

The first sign that anything was wrong came when groaning was heard from night-shift workers at a Royal Mail sorting office opposite the chimney.

Mail worker Michael Swinglehurst said: 'Myself and my colleagues could hear groaning which came and went. There was nothing verbal, it was intermittent.'

At 2.20am on Monday October 28th the workers had still not been able to identify where the groaning was coming from in the darkness and they called the police.

A search of the area discovered Mr Longcake was trapped by one leg hanging upside down from one of the top rungs of the ladder, which had partly come away from the wall and was hanging to one side.

Chief Inspector Terry Bathgate, who led the rescue effort, told the hearing that he had thrown down his shirt and was believed to be suffering from hypothermia as he hung from the ladder by the laces of his shoe.

Grandfather Phil Longcake, 53, had left his wife of 34 years for work colleague Heather Wilson in the days before he climbed the structure near the centre of Carlisle, Cumbria

Coroner Dr Nicholas Shaw told the Carlisle hearing: 'He was literally hanging by a thread.'

In a statement Andrea Longcake said that in the months leading up to his death her husband had 'started with what seemed like a mid-life crisis.'

She said: 'It was as though he wanted something but didn't know what it was. In August 2019 he started talking about historic abuse and he was referred to the crisis team.' 

She said that throughout their marriage he had not mentioned the abuse he claimed he had suffered as a child, but made disclosures in 2019, which were reported to the police.

Mrs Longcake described how she believed her estranged husband was suffering a 'mid-life crisis' while struggling with the memories of childhood abuse he had only recently disclosed

The hearing was told he had been upset when Cumbria Police told him they were not able to make progress with the case.

Mr Longcake's son Robert told the hearing: 'He had been struggling over the last few months since he had opened up about being abused, it was always on his mind and would tell me he could not stop thinking about it.'

The inquest was told of two previous suicide attempts made by Mr Longcake, the first in August last year when he took an overdose of tablets.  

Coroner Dr Nicholas Shaw recorded a narrative verdict, ruling that Mr Longcake died either by throwing himself from the top of the chimney and becoming snagged by his boot from the ladder's top rung, or by slipping accidentally

He said Mr Longcake had a significant amount of alcohol in his bloodstream but had shown no signs of intoxication prior to climbing the chimney

The hearing in Carlisle continues.

Coroner Dr Nicholas Shaw recorded a narrative verdict, ruling that Mr Longcake died either by throwing himself from the top of the chimney and becoming snagged by his boot from the ladder's top rung, or by slipping accidentally.

He said Mr Longcake had a significant amount of alcohol in his bloodstream but had shown no signs of intoxication prior to climbing the chimney. 

The cause of death was found to be a combination of hypothermia and cerebral swelling from hanging upside down.