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Widow of a taxi driver who decapitated himself in his cab said today she was "dumbfounded" by his death.
Gary Pucknell, 28, died last week in Southwark after tying one end of a rope around his neck and the other to a lamp post at a disused petrol station before driving off.
Police are treating the death of Mr Pucknell, of Crawley, as suicide.
His widow, Maxine, 38, said: "Everyone is completely dumbfounded.
"All his friends are saying they saw him a week before, days before, and he was the same old Gary - full of life, making jokes."
Mrs Pucknell said her husband was a "wonderful person", who was devoted to his two young daughters.
Reader views (3)
My his soul rest in peace and his family given the strength to cope during this difficult period
- Ad, Sheffield
My families hearts go out to Gary's family. My dad is a cab driver and at 61 still works 7 days a week with no support from the carriage office with any issues or problems. Everyone including the carriage office and garages are charging more and more money and the black taxi trade is slowing being taken away by the likes of mini cabs etc.
I see the stress that my dad is under sometimes and do not wish this on anyone.
- Katie, kent
obviously gary had some serious underlying issues + my heart goes out to him,i am afellow cab driver + can understand how the job can get to people,this is one instance that the carriage office should take seriously,too many drivers out there,too many overheads,running costs,the price of a new cab,garages stitching drivers up,the drivers are heavily regulated,what about the garages?£164 just to book cab in for o/haul that is ajoke!22yrs i have been doing this job + now it is full of greed,drivers who dont need to working 7 days a week out of greed,+ poor drivers like gary living 40miles from job 2 kids + the pressure just got too much,i did not know him,god rest his soul.
- C.Smith, CROYDON
