Peter Roebuck committed suicide during a sexual assault investigation

The inquest heard that Mr Roebuck was 'in despair' before his death. It was alleged that he had been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, according to Cheshire Coroner's Court.

Peter Roebuck, a cricket journalist and ex-Somerset captain, tragically took his own life in November 2011 in Cape Town while working as a commentator.

The inquest concluded that Mr Roebuck had taken his own life 13 years ago.

The batsman, hailing from Wirral, played for Somerset from 1974 to 1991 and captained the county side. Additionally, he served as a summariser with BBC Radio's Test Match Special.

He was staying at the Southern Sun Hotel to commentate on a match between Australia and South Africa. So was a columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald.

During the inquest held on Friday, the 9 of February 2024, it was revealed that Mr Roebuck had sexually assaulted a 26-year-old man in his room on 7 November. The two had arranged to meet to discuss financial support for the student's university education.

A complaint was made to the police on 12 November, and officers promptly arrested Mr Roebuck at his hotel that evening.

Commentator Jim Maxwell, a friend of Mr Roebuck's who worked for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, stated that he received a call late that evening asking him to go to his room.

Upon arriving, he was greeted by a police officer and went into the room to find his friend sitting on the bed.

Mr Maxwell reported that Mr Roebuck was totally in despair.

The speaker states that Mr Roebuck requested him to contact individuals at his residence and inform them of his need for legal representation. The police then instructed him to depart.

Detective Aubrey stated that Mr Roebuck was in control of himself

Peter Roebuck mentioned his prominence in the cricket fraternity and predicted that his arrest would make front-page news worldwide.

​​During the inquest, Mr McDonald stated that he left the hotel room to make a phone call. He overheard his colleague, Lieutenant Cecil Jacobs, shouting at Mr Roebuck.

As a result of the incident, Mr Roebuck unfortunately passed away.

 Mr McDonald observed that at the time of incident the deceased appeared to be very calm and in control.

The court was informed that post-mortem examinations conducted in both South Africa and the UK confirmed that Mr Roebuck died from multiple injuries.

The cause of death was recorded as the same in an inquest held in South Africa, which family members did not attend.

Dr Matthew Lyall, the forensic pathologist who conducted the post-mortem examination in the UK, stated in his report that there were no findings to suggest that a third party was directly involved in any of the injuries. However, it is important to note that the involvement of a third party cannot be completely ruled out based solely on the pathological findings.

Senior Coroner for Cheshire, Jacqueline Devonish, confidently concluded the inquest and expressed gratitude to the family members who attended court.

She acknowledged the delay in the case's progression, which was partly due to waiting for information on a renewed hearing in South Africa that has not yet taken place.