Luke Ashton inquest: Wife blames gambling relapse for death

A man killed himself after suffering a relapse into his gambling addiction during the pandemic, his wife has told an inquest.

Luke Ashton, who died aged 40 in April 2021, had run up gambling debts of £18,000 with several online betting firms two years before.

His family fear he took up gambling again while on furlough from work after getting an offer for a free bet.

Betting firm Flutter UKI, which owns Betfair, is represented at the inquest.

Flutter has been named as an interested person in the inquest, which will consider whether any acts or omissions by the gambling company contributed to his death during the pandemic.

It is thought to be the first time a gambling operator has been formally involved in an inquest in this way.

Mr Ashton's wife Annie read a statement to the inquest which described her husband as "a bright, happy and bubbly person who easily made friends".

She said they had been at school together but only became a couple in 2008 and later had a son.

She said: "He masked his own pain, suffering from a gambling addiction, an illness he did not recognise.

"He did not want to die. He had everything he wanted. The only thing he didn't want was the pain and harm from gambling."

The inquest was told that in farewell messages he had talked of suffering from "demons" and had warned his son from ever gambling in a list of dos-and-don'ts.

Mrs Ashton said her husband had confessed in 2013 to placing a £600 bet on football and that he had been very apologetic and tried to cancel the wager, which he went on to win.

The inquest heard he had then placed temporary blocks on his betting accounts.

Mrs Ashton said she became aware in 2019 that he had debts of £18,000 from loans he had taken to fund his gambling, but they managed to pay the money back after they sold their house.

Mrs Ashton said they had talked about a trial separation but then stayed together.

She said: "He took full responsibility. He wasn't trying to hide it, he wanted to make amends. He hated it and said he was over with gambling."

But the inquest heard that by April 2021 he had begun gambling again, sometimes more than a hundred times a day.

He often placed bets early in the morning and late at night on sports including Australian greyhound racing and women's netball.

Mrs Ashton was asked by her legal representative Jesse Nicholls if she felt her husband's death had been caused by gambling. She said she did and that gambling was the source of all his problems.

Gambling addiction expert Prof Dame Clare Gerada, the president of the Royal College of GPs, also gave evidence to the hearing.

She said the nation's only primary care service for problem gamblers received about 60 to 70 referrals per month.

Regarding Mr Ashton, she said: "He had a lot of positive factors in his life - he was a younger man, in a job, with a relationship and a home. There was nothing other than gambling which would point to a mental health illness."

Under cross-examination from Mr Nicholls, Prof Gerada said that Luke had been suffering from a gambling disorder, a recognised illness that had, on the balance of probabilities, directly led to him taking his own life.

She said he had been at a high risk of suicide when gambling with Betfair.

Mrs Ashton started a petition in 2021 to call for legislation to ban free betting incentives.

A barrister for Flutter said the firm "did not bombard" Mr Ashton with gambling promotions at a pre-inquest review in 2022.

The inquest, led by Leicester and South Leicestershire Coroner Ivan Cartwright, is due to continue for the rest of the week.

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