Friends of a tragic young couple who killed themselves just days apart have spoken of how cruel rumours about his girlfriend's death drove him to suicide.
Jenny Shanley was found to have killed herself on January 11 last year after taking cocaine. She was found by her boyfriend Craig Daffern in the couple's en-suite bathroom in the parish of Westby on the Fylde coast, between Blackpool and Preston.
Tragically, Craig took his own life just three days later. In the days that followed, 35-year-old Craig was falsely accused of being involved in Jenny's death. His best friends have now said that those rumours are what led him to kill himself, reports LancsLive.
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This week, a coroner ruled that Jenny took her own life after taking cocaine. Jenny's family had voiced concerns that Craig had been involved in her death but this was categorically ruled out by the senior coroner Alan Wilson and evidence from the police and pathologist which confirmed Jenny had taken her own life.
The inquest heard that Jenny, who was just 36 at the time of her death, had ongoing financial worries and had previously taken an overdose following the breakdown of her marriage to the father of her children. Three days after finding Jenny dead on January 11 Craig, a skilled gardener, text a friend saying "I've had enough but I love you all".
Craig's family and friends desperately tried to ring him but his phone was switched off. He was reported missing and two days later, on January 16, his body was found near a telephone exchange building in School Lane in Catforth.
One of Jenny's friends later told police that the couple were "very happy" together and she had never seen any evidence of violence between them. Craig and Jenny had planned to go on holiday for May with her three children and Craig's friends have now revealed that he planned to ask Jenny to marry him during the trip to Land's End - a place the couple had previously visited.
One of Craig's best friends told LancsLive: "If you were to ask me why Craig did what he did I'd say it's because of the disgusting allegations that were made on social media after Jenny died. He was being blamed for what happened to her but all of their friends know that Craig would never have hurt Jenny.
"At Jenny's inquest the coroner made it clear that Craig had nothing to do with Jenny's death and we just hope that will be an end to it now. It's just a total tragedy. After Jenny's death Craig talked to his friends about what people were saying on social media and it absolutely broke him. He was pushed to suicide by those comments and I can't even begin to imagine how he felt when he took his own life."
Craig's friend, who LancsLive has agreed not to name, revealed that after the couple's deaths he has had to seek counselling. He said that the last text he received from Craig was one in which he said "I can't do this anymore".
"I just hope that those people who made those comments, and they know who they are, realise the consequences of their actions," he said. "All of Craig's family have been dignified in not responding but someone had to speak out so that people know why Craig did what he did."
Following the conclusion of Jenny's inquest Craig's family told LancsLive that they hope "everyone can now move forward". They described the couple as being "very much in love".
"As a family we cannot thank everyone enough for their love and support over the last 12 months," Craig's sister Heather said. "To us as a family it means so much to know how much Craig was loved and cared for.
"We are all still heartbroken beyond belief but in time we will come to terms with this utter tragedy of losing such a happy couple who loved each other so much. Craig loved Jennifer and simply couldn't live without her and we hope everyone can now move forward."
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