Tragic end for Oswestry charity hero who escaped from Dubai prison in 'a hell of a life'

Roger Whitting, aged 66, was well known and popular in Oswestry for his charity fundraising and dressing up as a "mobile Christmas tree" in his wheelchair with decorations and fairy lights.

But before he became chair-bound he lived a globe-trotting life as a successful farmer and businessman in the world of IT security.

Tributes poured in for Roger, who died last October, and an inquest into his death has now been held at Shirehall, Shrewsbury.

During the hearing, his upbringing on the family farm and some of his adventures were mentioned, and Roger's brother Andrew and close friend Mike Lade shared more details of his escapades afterwards.

"He went to Rhodesia when he was about 20 and at one stage he was responsible for about a third of all the chickens in the country," said Andrew, referring to Roger's success in farming.

But, he said when war hit the African state, Roger had to drive his family 2,000 miles to escape to safety.

At one stage Roger was homeless in London, before heading to Dubai to seek his fortune during the building boom.

Roger found himself behind bars at one stage after falling foul of draconian financial laws and had to bribe an inmate to let him use his passport to escape the country. "There was another Brit murdered," Andrew said.

Roger had been living in Thailand when about 13 years ago he was involved in a moped accident that seemed relatively innocuous at first. But it turned out Roger had done serious damage to his neck and, sadly, he was robbed of his mobility, and his ability to explore the world on his own terms.

He was flown home to be close to family and, despite his challenges, put in the effort to be a much-valued member of society.

He co-founded and served for a time as president of the Oswestry Cambrian Rotary Club having already been involved in a South African charity group, worked at the League of Friends at Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital - where he received treatment - and did several fundraising activities including shaving his head and dressing up for Christmas.

He was also a campaigner for people with disabilities and was past chairman of the Oswestry Access Group.

Sadly, Roger battled depression and had serious financial worries. Andrew told the inquest that he was about to run out of money and couldn't afford his carers.

He said the authorities wanted to know about "every penny" Roger had, and had scheduled a meeting for four or five weeks' time, despite Roger's immediate plight.

"I blame social services," said Andrew. "He was totally disabled from the chest down. He was faced with an insurmountable task. He could not live without his carers."

Roger made an attempt on his own life at home on October 15 last year. He called police to tell them what he was doing so his carers didn't find him, and sent emails to his friends to say "sorry" for what he was about to do.

Officers were on the scene in 15 minutes and burst in through a back door. They commenced CPR and Roger was taken to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and put in intensive care.

However, it became apparent to medics that his brain had been starved of oxygen for too long and he was put on a course of end-of-life care before he died on October 25.

Heath Westerman, deputy coroner for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, recorded a conclusion of suicide. He said that Roger "was clearly a very valued member of Oswestry" and that "everybody will miss" his good work.

Mike was one of Roger's closest friends, and it turned out that he accidentally sent his farewell email to a different man of the same name, leaving Mike wondering if he'd have seen it, if he might have been able to get to him in time.

"I should have been copied in," he said. "But he copied in the wrong Mike. If I'd have seen it I may have been able to get there."

Mike would regularly meet Roger on a Thursday for coffee with their fellow "grumpy gits" from the rotary club and, despite the sadness, he fondly remembered times when Roger got into scrapes in his motorised chair, including getting stuck in the mud and nearly falling into the canal, and once accidentally joining the A5.

"He got himself in trouble, but the police were always brilliant with him," he said.

"He did it all. He had a hell of a life."

When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.