- Richard and Anne Spencer died after their car plunged into a river on August 18
The parents of TV presenter Phil Spencer died as a result of an accident on their family farm after their car overturned in a river, a coroner has concluded.
Richard Spencer, 89, known as David, and Anne Spencer, 82, were chatting as they drove for lunch when their car tipped over the edge of a bridge and plunged into a river in Littlebourne, Kent, on August 18.
The couple, who were farmers, were submerged in around three feet of water and were pronounced dead at Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate.
A full inquest into the couple’s death took place at Oakwood House in Maidstone, Kent, today. Coroner Sarah Clarke read a statement from Detective Sergeant Chris Wade of the Kent Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit, who led the investigation into the couple’s deaths.
She said Anne was driving a car, which she had owned since 2022, down a narrow, single-track road from the family home towards a bridge on their land, which passed over the Nail Bourne River, around 12.20pm on August 18.
The private road offered vehicular access for those living on the farm and was not used by the public.
DS Wade said the road surface approaching the bridge was ‘uneven in places’, adding: ‘The road rises up onto a concrete-brick constructed bridge which allows traffic to cross the Nail Bourne river.’
He continued: ‘The bridge is extremely narrow and produces an S-bend. The slight incline onto the bridge severely restricts view of the near-side and off-side edges of the road.’
DS Wade said Richard was in the front passenger seat of the car, and the couple’s full-time, live-in carer Veronica Francis – who had been hired to help with their medication and meals – was in the back of the vehicle, sitting behind Richard.
The inquest heard they were leaving their farm to go out for lunch. Richard and Anne were chatting as they approached the bridge.
DS Wade said Anne appeared to veer slightly offside, causing the offside tyre to slip off the bridge. The car struck the bottom of the river and caused the car to overturn, submerging all three occupants in around three feet of water.
Ms Clarke also read a statement from the couple’s carer Veronica, in which she said she located her mobile to call Robert – who runs the farm and lives in another property on the land – for help, but was unable to get signal. She was eventually able to get out of the car and went to find him.
DS Wade continued: ‘Robert managed to extract his parents through the respective doors but both were unconscious. CPR continued until the arrival of the paramedics.’
Phil’s father David was also suffering from dementia at the time of his death while his mother Anne had Parkinson’s disease.
Ms Clarke had previously said paramedics arrived at around 12.57pm and took Mr Spencer and Mrs Spencer to the QEQM.
She added that Mr Spencer died from a lung injury called aspiration pneumonitis due to near drowning. Mrs Spencer died from aspiration pneumonia, a hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury, and near drowning.
She said there was nothing of relevance in either toxicology report and therefore concluded it was an accidental death.
She told the inquest: ‘These circumstances are some of the most tragic I have ever heard. I am so saddened for the family.
‘The only conclusion that can be reached is that both Mr and Mrs Spencer died as the result of an accident. It only remains for me to pass on my condolences to the family.’
DS Wade said the couple had lived and worked on the farm for their entire lives and that Anne was ‘very familiar with the roads in and out of the farm.’
He concluded the accident was likely caused by ‘a lapse in concentration’ by Anne.
He said: ‘This is a most tragic incident which appears to have occurred due to potentially a momentary lapse of concentration on behalf of Mrs Spencer.
‘The bridge requires a great deal of care to negotiate as it’s extremely narrow with limited visibility.
‘Despite Mrs Spencer being familiar with these roads, she appears to have momentarily steered to the offside with tragic consequences.
‘There is no evidence of third party involvement, vehicle defects or external circumstances leading to this.’
TV star Phil did not attend the inquest, but one of his sisters was present.
The 54-year-old presenter told of his devastation back in August as he shared a picture of the couple to his social media and wrote: ‘As a family, we are all trying to hold onto the fact Mum and Dad went together and that neither will ever have to mourn the loss of the other one. Which is a blessing in itself.
‘Although they were both on extremely good form in the days before (hence the sudden idea to go out to lunch), Mum’s Parkinson’s and Dad’s Dementia had been worsening and the long term future was set to be a challenge.’
‘So much so that Mum said to me only a week ago that she had resigned to thinking ‘now it looks like we will probably go together’. And so they did.
‘That was what God had planned for them – and it was a good plan.’
He also revealed details about the crash. Writing on Instagram, he said: ‘The car, going very slowly, toppled over a bridge on the farm drive, upside down into the river. There were no physical injuries and I very much doubt they would have even fought it – they would have held hands under the water and quietly slipped away.
‘Their carer was in the car and managed to climb out of a back window so the alarm was raised quite quickly.’
The road where the accident happened is also a bridle path and a popular spot for locals to walk their dogs.
The Spencer family have owned Garrington Farm for decades.
Phil’s bother Robert runs the farm which has both beef cattle and arable land near Howletts Wild Animal Farm.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
