Man who couldn't hold wife's hand when she died of coronavirus shares Cummings 'rage'

A heartbroken widower who couldn't hold his wife's hand as she died with coronavirus has written a powerful letter based on his outrage over Dominic Cummings' lockdown breach.

John Wilson, from Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire, told how his "astonishing" wife of almost 50 years, Pauline, a teacher, lost her battle in hospital in late March less t han 48 hours after she called him from her hospital bed.

Her death came on the weekend that Mr Cummings is said to have developed Covid-19 symptoms and around the same time Boris Johnson's chief aide made the 250 mile journey from London to his parents' home in Durham to self-isolate with his wife and four-year-old son.

In a letter to his local Tory MP, Mr Wilson told of his "rage" and how the lockdown prevented him from seeing his wife in hospital for two weeks before she died, and hit out at Boris Johnson's refusal to sack his chief aide Mr Cummings.

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Mr Wilson, a photographer, told Buckingham MP Greg Smith: "I have delayed writing to you for 15 hours to try and let my rage subside so that I can be coherent and civil.

"My wife died of Covid-19 in Stoke Mandeville hospital on 29th March.

"Hospital lockdown prevented me from seeing her for two weeks before her death.

"On the day she died I could not be with her to hold her hand, I just say by the telephone.

"I was not able to see her body.

"Since then I have stayed alone in the house leaving only to collect her ashes and belongings from the undertaker, shop for food every couple of weeks, collect medication, post a parcel of condolence cards to her sister who will pass them round the rest of the family and walk for less than one hour a day."

He added: "In other words under severe mental and emotional distress I, like the vast majority of the population, have complied with your government's instructions in order to protect my fellow citizens.

"I will spare you my opinion of the actions of the leader of your party yesterday. If you are in any doubt let me know."

In his letter, Mr Wilson asked Mr Smith to clarify his view of the Cummings situation and Mr Johnson's handling of it, and "what, if anything, you intend to do about this".

Mr Wilson closed the letter by writing: "Please spare me the deepest sympathy/thoughts and prayers stuff - we are beyond that after yesterday."

The widower posted his letter on Twitter, where it was retweeted more than 55,000 times within five hours.

He later tweeted: "Just a little clarification about my letter. It's not about what Commings did or didn't do.

"My MP has no power to do anything about that.

"As a member of the 1922 committee he does have power to do something about Johnson."

In February, Mr Wilson tweeted saying his wife Pauline, who had underlying health conditions, was awaiting surgery in Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital after breaking her hip.

On March 27 he wrote: "My astonishing wife has just rung me from the hospital. She's conscious and sounds better than she has all day!"

Less than 24 hours later he was told that she had died.

He wrote on Twitter on March 29: "My dear Pauline has just passed away. I was not able to be with her. She had a hand to hold and was in no pain which is a comfort."

He later added: |Just had a shock. Hospital phoned to say the Covid19 test they did a couple of days ago has come back +ve. Means I won't be able to see her."

The couple would have celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary in July.

Boris Johnson has refused to sack his chief adviser and Mr Cummings has refused to resign amid public fury and calls for him to go.

Mr Cummings, 48, travelled from London to his parents' home in Durham with his wife, journalist Mary Wakefield, and four-year-old son in late March.

It came after Ms Wakefield developed Covid-19 symptoms. Downing Street said Mr Cummings developed symptoms on March 28 or 29.

Durham police visited his parents' Durham home on March 31 after learning that an "individual" was there after making the trip from London despite the lockdown guidelines that warned against long-distance journeys.

The Government was urging families to isolate at home if any member developed symptoms and telling Britons not to have any contact with elderly relatives or anyone from outside their household.

Mr Cummings denies any wrongdoing and it is claimed he feared he and his wife wanted to be closer to his family because they feared they would be left unable to care for their son.

There are new claims that he made a second trip to the North East in April, having already returned to London following his recovery from Covid-19 symptoms.

Durham police have now been asked to formally investigate the Prime Minister's top adviser.