Former England cricketer Graham Thorpe “spiralled into depression” after losing his coaching role in 2022, an inquest has heard.

The 55-year-old died on the morning of 4 August 2024, after being struck by a train at a railway station in Surrey.

His widow, Amanda Thorpe, said a week later that he had taken his own life.

An inquest at Surrey Coroner’s Court in Woking on Wednesday was told that Mr Thorpe had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression in 2018.

He had previously attempted to take his own life in 2022.

The court heard that an incident involving a leaked video in Australia that same year had left him “distraught”.

In a statement to the court, Ms Thorpe explained that prior to 2020, there were no significant psychological issues, apart from “a bout of depression” in 2018 which did not impact her husband’s job.

She added that he “found lockdown and Covid very difficult, very stressful”.

While on tour in Australia, there was an “incident involving a video that was taken that had adverse publicity”, the court heard.

Mr Thorpe shared a video with some friends which was leaked, and the incident was “blown out of all proportion”, leaving Mr Thorpe “distraught”, Ms Thorpe’s statement added.

According to reports at the time, the video, filmed after a dismal Ashes series which England lost 4-0, showed Tasmanian police breaking up a drinking session involving both England and Australia players.

Mrs Thorpe described it as a “horrible” time.

She said the later termination of his employment with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was a “real shock to Graham”, which was the “start of the decline of his mental health”.

Coroner Jonathan Stevens read a statement from Mr Thorpe’s GP, Joan Munnelly, who said the cricketer was diagnosed with anxiety and depression in 2018.

Dr Munnelly said an attempt to take his own life in 2022 resulted in a brain injury and he was in intensive care afterwards.

Mr Thorpe spent time in a private hospital after he was discharged.

By 2023, Mr Thorpe had suicidal thoughts, Ms Thorpe said, and after Christmas he was “in a terrible way”.

The last contact between Mr Thorpe and those responsible for his psychiatric care was in June 2024, and Ms Thorpe felt that he should have been “assessed properly”, the court heard.

She said in the weeks leading up to his death, her husband told her he “doesn’t want to be here anymore” and had “asked me to help him end his life”.

In a statement, Mr Thorpe’s father, Geoff Thorpe, said the video incident had “caused catastrophic damage to him” and “ultimately he lost his job”, then quickly “spiralled into depression”.

Mr Thorpe became “more and more desperate and helpless in the last year of his life”, he added.

Reading Geoff Thorpe’s statement, the coroner said: “You felt those who were responsible for Graham’s safety and care could’ve done more to intervene.”

Professor Nick Pierce, the ECB’s chief medical officer, said in a statement that after Mr Thorpe’s employment ended in February 2022, his private health insurance cover was extended until the May.

In May, the cricket board was advised that Mr Thorpe had attempted to take his own life, and Professor Pierce explained that “at no point during Graham’s time at ECB had there been any concern regarding a risk of self-harm or intent to end life”.

He added that the cricket board’s healthcare trust was approached about helping to cover the costs of treatment for Mr Thorpe at a hospital, and the trustees agreed.

Mr Thorpe was a mainstay in the England set-up for many years, first as a batter between 1993 and 2005 before spending 12 years in coaching roles.

During a distinguished international career, he struck 16 Test hundreds for England, including a debut century against Australia at Trent Bridge in 1993, and represented his country 182 times in all formats.

The inquest continues.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.