Brighton artist's grief after wife's death

An artist sent kisses to his “darling” wife, not knowing that she had stepped in front of a train.

Carole-Anne White, who had been suffering from bouts of depression, died at Hassocks station last Thursday (April 25).

Her husband Philip Dunn, one of Brighton’s most notable painters, said the 58-year-old was “the most lovely, generous, warm-hearted person I’ve ever met”.

He said: “I loved her dearly and I feel utterly bereft. I always felt very proud to be with her.”

The couple, who were married for nearly 35 years, owned the Window Gallery in The Lanes before it moved to Ditchling.

Mr Dunn, who is known for his paintings of Brighton landmarks, said his wife had suffered from constant physical pain and anxiety and became depressed when doctors could not diagnose what was wrong with her.

He said: “I couldn’t fathom what was causing the problem but the night before it happened, she seemed happy.

“We went to bed but she got up half an hour later and said I was snoring.

“She went off into the next room, and in the morning I brought her the newspaper for her to do her puzzle, just like normal.”

But when Mr Dunn got dressed and went downstairs, he realised his wife had left the house and her car was gone.

'It was so awful'

He said: “I thought she’d just gone off to get some pet food, so I went off to walk the dog. But then I noticed how early it was, and it didn’t make sense.

“When I got back she still wasn’t there and I started worrying. I tried to ring her but it rang out, and I sent her a text with kisses, but there was no reply.

“Eventually I went down to the shop and when I looked up, a policeman was coming towards me. He told me he had some bad news. It was so awful.”

Mr Dunn said he was finding it “almost impossible” to carry on with his life after the loss of his wife.

He said: “She was my best friend.”