Supermarket boss killed himself over gambling addiction
A MORRISONS supermarket manager hanged himself after his life was taken over by a merciless addiction to online gambling.
Philip Tomlinson, 29, would squander up to £1,000 a time playing betting machines and became so hooked he sold items such as his prized golf clubs to fund his habit.
An inquest heard how Philip had bravely tried to fight his addiction, seeking help from health professionals and support groups.
But he could not overcome his compulsion which continued to tear apart his life as well as that his loved ones, with his girlfriend walking out when she discovered how he had squandered savings put aside for a trip of a lifetime to see the Northern Lights.
But last July 12 amid mounting debts, Mr Tomlinson penned a note saying ‘I am sorry for gambling, it was my biggest regret’ before taking his own life at a beauty spot. He was found hanged from a tree in secluded woodland by a dog walker in Monton, near Eccles, Salford, less than an hour after his worried mother issued a missing person’s appeal. Two handwritten suicide notes addressed to Mr Tomlinson’s family were found in his rucksack. At an inquest in Bolton, coroner Timothy Brennand recorded a conclusion of suicide and said: “This is a case where the message should go out that gambling is as pernicious and fatal as other addictions and can bring nothing but misery and, tragically, death. “Philip was known to be a long-term gambling addict and the preparation, the location that was selected, and together with the information in those letters, leave me in no doubt he wanted to end his life. “Philip’s death was a tragedy Philip Tomlinson’s mum, Kindal Rogers and nobody can begin to comprehend the grief of a mother whose son has died before their time.”
Earlier, the inquest heard Mr Tomlinson, who worked as a pricing manager for the supermarket giant, had starting playing slot machines before moving on to online forms of gambling using his iPhone or tablet.
Two months prior to his death, he had taken an overdose as a ‘cry for help’ and was seen by mental health professionals who recommended he attend Gambling ‘AA’ sessions in a bid to tackle his addiction.
His girlfriend, Rachel Hurst, had repeatedly attempted to break his habit but split from him three months before his death.
In a statement, Miss Hurst told how she had battled to save Philip from his addiction, adding: “I thought he had turned a corner but in April I found out that he had been gambling and we separated shortly after. His death came as a total shock to me as I never realised he was struggling so much.”
Mr Tomlinson’s mother Kindal Rogers, 53, told the hearing: “It began on the slot machines at the bookies but then developed using his iPhone and iPad.”
Describing her last moment with her son, she added: “I was sleeping on the sofa and he came in and said ‘Sorry I woke you up, I love you’, and that was the last thing he said to me.
“He went out and I expected him to return that evening but he never did.”