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James Morrison found his wife hanged at their home, a coroner has confirmed as the inquest into the death of the mother-of-two opened today.
Gillian Catchpole, 45, was found suspended by a ligature at the couple’s home in Whitminster, Gloucestershire, last Friday morning, coroner Roland Wooderson heard, just days after police checked in following ‘concerns for her welfare’.
The tragedy came just days after Mr Morrison’s wife of 17 years had told friends she was excited for the New Year after recently launching her own café and career as a cater.
Mr Morrison used keys to enter the property where he found his wife after a worried friend had contacted the singer.
Emergency services were then alerted, with paramedics and police arriving at the property where they announced Ms Catchpole dead at 9.37am.
Police were satisfied there were no suspicious circumstances, the coroner was told.
Identification of her body was carried out the aid of her driving licence photograph and family members who attended the scene, the coroner heard.
Pathologist Dr Terry Jones carried out the post mortem and gave the provisional cause of death as hanging.
The inquest has now been adjourned to a later date. Samples were taken from her body for toxicological analysis, the coroner was told.
It comes as James Morrison is believed to have cancelled all work commitments and new music plans following the sudden death of his wife Gill Catchpole at their family home.
The 39-year-old singer had posted a picture on Instagram of him playing his guitar in front of a screen just last Thursday, captioning it: ‘New Year, new adventure…’
But just hours later on Friday, the body of 45-year-old mother-of-two Gill Catchpole was found at their property in the Gloucestershire village of Whitminster.
Morrison had faded from the public eye in recent years, although did go on a 22-date ‘Greatest Hits’ tour in 2022 and played festivals including Kew The Music in London.
And it seems he had been planning new music, given that the social media photo showed him in front of recording and mixing equipment.
Now, a source has told The Sun that Morrison, 39, will focus on caring for his two daughters Elsie, 15, and Ada Rose, five, after cancelling all work commitments.
Ms Catchpole, 45, who had been married to Morrison for 17 years since 2006, had been pictured without her wedding ring and was looking for a new home shortly before she died.
She had spoken of her ‘ups, downs and heartache’ and was reportedly looking for a property in Whitminster shortly before her death.
Ms Catchpole was also running a successful café in the village, called the Cotswold Sandwich Box.
Speaking recently about her life since a kidney transplant, she said the life-saving operation came around the time her husband returned to the limelight with a greatest hits album and festival appearances.
He has endured a series of family tragedies. Morrison disappeared from the music industry for some time after losing his father Paul, an alcoholic, in 2010 and his elder brother Alexis and nephew Callum within three years.
Morrison and his family said they were ‘devastated’ by Ms Catchpole’s death. The day before the tragedy, the singer-songwriter shared an image of himself recording guitar music on Instagram with the caption: ‘New year, new adventure’.
The couple had been together for around two decades, and met after Ms Catchpole moved into Morrison’s mother’s home as a lodger.
Ms Catchpole’s death has come around 14 months after she had a kidney transplant in 2022, which she admitted had left her shattered but she praised her family for ‘picking up the many pieces of my life’.
She had shared a post on her catering business’s social media in November last year expressing excitement at getting the venture going after the transplant.
She wrote: ‘Well, what can I say? What a difference a year makes. This time last year I was having my kidney transplant and a year on after many ups downs and heartache I am here owning my own business.
‘At the start of this year I myself never saw this coming. For anyone out there struggling I can tell you from experience it does get better.
‘Thanks to my amazing family and friends that have been there through it all and picked up the many pieces of me and my life. You all know who you are… today I feel blessed.’
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James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
