Popular Kentish Town couple died ten days apart
Former gallery employee suffered tragic accident as she cared for ill husband, inquest hears
Published: 6 May, 2010
by JOSIE HINTON
A POPULAR Kentish Town couple who had been married for 35 years tragically died within 10 days of
each other, an inquest has heard. Christine-Marie Roberts had been caring for her terminally ill husband in their Countess Road home when she tripped and fell down the stairs as she rushed to answer the phone.
The 66-year-old former Tate Britain art gallery employee, who was known to friends as “Miquette”, was found by her son lying at the foot of the stairs on January 27.
She was taken to the Royal Free Hospital, where she died 11 days later.
The day after Mrs Roberts’s fall, her husband Jeffery Roberts, 66, a former stock market adviser, also died after a year-long battle with cancer – unaware that his wife had suffered critical injuries.
At an inquest into Mrs Roberts’ death yesterday (Wednesday), the couple’s son Duncan told St Pancras Coroner’s Court that at the time of Mrs Roberts’ accident, she
had been “stressed and tired” after taking on the 24-hour care of her husband.
The mother-of-two had been anxiously waiting for a phone-call to confirm a nurse would be coming to care for Mr Roberts the following day, he told the inquest.
“As I was sitting in my bedroom the phone rings,” he said.
“I hear my mum come out of the master bedroom where she had been looking after my dad and rush towards the phone.
“I hear her dash past my bedroom, to the ground floor, really sprinting down the few steps and then I just hear three terrible thuds. I rush out of my room down the stairs and find my mother lying face up, her feet on the bottom step and her head towards the door.”
Duncan Roberts, who had been living with his parents for almost a year, started mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while his sister, who was visiting from Liverpool, called an ambulance.
Paramedics took Mrs Roberts to the hospital in Pond Street, where she underwent surgery, but her condition deteriorated and she died.
Following the tragic accident, friends and neighbours have mourned the loss of a couple known for their love of life and interest in current affairs.
Mr Roberts, a former Liberal councillor in Shoreditch, read geology at New College, Oxford, before also completing a PhD.
He spoke six languages and took up Welsh in the last years of his life.
His wife worked as an education officer in various art galleries including Tate Britain, which she served for 10 years.