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This is the tragic five-year-old Sam Puttick whose parents leapt from Beachy Head after he died of meningitis.
Neil Puttick, 34, and his Japanese wife Kazumi, 44, clutched the body of their son in a rucksack when they leapt to their deaths on Sunday evening.
Today it emerged that Sam had been suffering from severe meningitis and had been allowed home to die. He died peacefully on Friday night at his home in Wiltshire. His body was found inside a rucksack near his parents' bodies.
Neighbours said the family who leapt 600 feet to their deaths were “loving and adoring” parents who doted on their severely disabled boy.
Neil Puttick, 34, and his Japanese-born wife Kazumi, 44, agreed a suicide pact after their son Sam, five, died at their family home from natural causes following meningitis.
Sam was left paralysed from the neck down after a car crash as an infant but his condition is thought to have steadily deteriorated over the last few months.
Neighbours at their home near Westbury, Wiltshire, said that Neil and Kazumi “lived for Sam” and were absolutely “devastated” by his death.
Hospital officials revealed today that Sam had been receiving treatment for meningitis in hospital but when it became clear that he had no hope of recovery he had been allowed home to die.
Police believe that after the child's death the couple drove with his body to the notorious suicide spot in Sussex on Sunday before leaping to their deaths.
All three were recovered from the rocks by emergency workers yesterday.
Speaking from the picturesque village of Brokerswood, in Westbury, neighbour Sue Hawkins said Sam was “lively” and “interested”.
Sue, 41, whose husband Dave worked on the Putticks' farm, said: “Sam used to come up and visit in his wheel chair.
“He would visit our orphaned lambs and he used to name them, bless him. They were very quiet people and kept themselves to themselves. They adored Sam. All they ever talked about was Sam and they always had him with them.
“He had endless carers but I thought he was looking worse than usual lately.
“He was starting to struggle to speak more and had tubes and would struggle to eat and drink. But they were a lovely family who loved coming up to see the animals and tractors on our farms. Sam was very clever and interested in things.”
Neil and Kazumi married in Tokyo in 1997 and moved to England, where they had Sam.
Kazumi, who was born and raised in Japan, was later involved in a road crash, which left Sam fighting for life. He survived but was left paralysed from the neck down.
The family were awarded a substantial personal injury settlement following the crash and in July 2006 the couple bought £675,000 Wishing Well Farm.
They had a purpose-built extension to the building to cater to Sam's needs, including live-in carers.
Detective Inspector Ian Williams from Sussex Police said: “I am satisfied that Samuel's grieving parents Neil and Kazumi appear to have taken their own lives.”
The couple carried Sam's body inside a zipped-up rucksack and drove to Sussex in their silver Volkswagen caravanette. They pulled into a cliff-top car park and walked the remaining 100 yards to the edge, overlooking Beachy Head lighthouse.
Their bodies were found at the foot of the cliffs, alongside the bag containing Sam's body and another which had his teddy bears and a toy tractor.
Reader views (5)
It is a pity they had no other children who would have given them a reason to carry on. But really, the death of a child is so horrific it is a wonder this type of tragedy does not occur more often....
- Scots Lass, Scotland, 02/06/2009 18:44
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This has to be one of the most tragic stories I've read. It's impossible to even imagine what this couple were thinking, going through when they decided to end their lives and be together eternally as a family. My condolences to the relatives and friends they left behind.
- Lorraine, London, 02/06/2009 17:28
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How absolutely heartbreaking. Evidently Sam's parents loved him dearly - I sincerely hope that they have now found the peace that eluded them when their little boy's health deteriorated.
- Ben, London, UK, 02/06/2009 16:40
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Desperately, desperately sad.
Meningitis takes no prisoners - one moment you have a healthy child and then it all kicks off with a vengeance. I worked for somebody who lost his three year old to meningitis and the day the little girl died was just dreadful.
The Putticks obviously loved the little boy so much that life without him seemed unbearable. I just hope that they're now reunited in a better place.
- Alison Petrie, Cheshunt, Herts, 02/06/2009 16:26
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What a absolute tragedy, so so sad, what else could they have done, consummed with the grief and depression, condolences x x
- Sorraya, croydon, 02/06/2009 15:42
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