A WIDOW was left ‘heartbroken’ after her husband of 23 years took his own life in a Barrow hotel room 11 days after a text message intended for his mistress was mistakenly sent to her, an inquest heard.

Christopher Allen Rae, who lived on Walney with his wife Lisa, was found unresponsive by a housekeeper in a room of the Barrow branch of Premier Inn on April 14 2023.

Mrs Rae said in a statement read to the Coroner’s Court in Cockermouth that on April 3, a WhatsApp message was sent to her that was ‘meant for someone else, containing very explicit content’.

She said that on the following day, Mr Rae denied ‘having a brief fling’, and was ‘acting bizarre’, and walked out of the house that night, after having also changed his phone number.

The statement said that on April 9, after having searched for her husband after becoming ‘very concerned for his mental health’, she received a call from his new phone number after telling one of his friends she intended to call the police.

He then visited their home on Walney, and again denied having the affair.

This was the last time that she saw her husband.

A friend of Mr Rae, who he worked with, Anthony Curtis, submitted a statement to the court.

It said: “Chris at work never used his phone, but in the last eight weeks before his died was always on his phone.

“One Monday morning, Chris came into work very upset.

“He told me he had sent a text message to his wife by accident which was intended for another person.

“Chris was very upset about it as he had to move out of his house.”

Accessing his message logs, Mr Rae’s wife found ‘hundreds; of text messages to the other woman, who she confronted, and who admitted having sexual relations with Mr Rae.

Mr Curtis said that Mr Rae had mentioned ending his own life on Monday, April 10, and that he told him ‘things would be alright’ after he spoke to his wife.

The receptionist who checked Mr Rae into the hotel on April 13, at around 7.30 pm, said he seemed ‘happy and normal’, and was laughing with other guests outside the hotel reception.

She also said Mr Rae returned an hour later with a carrier bag, and gave her two chocolate bars as thanks for helping him to book a room.

Mrs Rae paid a moving tribute to her husband.

Her statement said: “As Chris’ wife of nearly 24 years I think I knew him very well though he was obviously more troubled than I realised.

“Chris was a complex character, and at times could make poor choices, and not really realise the consequences.

“He was also the most giving, kindest, hard-working, helpful man, who made people laugh.

“I believe everyone in Barrow received a chocolate bar off him at some point.

“His children meant the world to him.

“I believe the choices that he made in the last seven weeks have resulted in his tragic end, where he could see no way back.

“Our family and friends are heartbroken by this sudden loss.

“He was one of a kind, and I am privileged to have spent twenty-four years together.”

A toxicology report on Mr Rae revealed nothing of any relevance, and police found no suspicious circumstances.

Assistant Coroner for Cumbria Robert Cohen judged Mr Rae’s death to be suicide.

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