A "beautiful" teenager was found dead in her university halls after a night out with her friends.
Angel Kendrick's body was discovered the day after a night out, an inquest heard, as her heartbroken family say they wish she knew how beautiful she was. Paying tribute to the Liverpool John Moores University business studies student her aunt, Claire Kendrick, told the ECHO: "She was one of the most caring, considerate, beautiful people I knew.
"She put a lot of pressure on herself, but she was very intelligent. Even though she didn't think she did well, she got firsts in all her exams in her first semester. She had so much to give. She had so much ahead of her.
"I just wish she could have seen how beautiful she was, inside and out."
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At an inquest into Angel's death on Thursday, the court heard the 18-year-old had a history of mental health problems. She had been diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression, and was on a waiting list for therapy after self-referring to mental health services.
On March 12, Angel and a group of friends went to the Tempest on Tithebarn bar, where she drank a large amount of alcohol. At 4.10pm, they went to Sketch on London Road, where she continued to drink, and she became upset over some family issues.
Her friend Billy Beat said: "Angel was very drunk, and was drinking Guinness. She was laughing and giggling one minute, and then getting upset."
After leaving the bar at around 8pm, Angel's friends decided she was too drunk to continue and took her back to her accommodation, where she was put to bed by one of her flatmates, Genia Bailey.
She said: "Angel was very drunk. She was unsteady on her feet; I had to help her into her room because she could barely walk. She struggled to take her coat and shoes off because she was so drunk. She told me she loved me, and that I was a good friend."
At around 4am the next day, her flatmates heard music playing in her room. At 11.30am, she sent a snapchat message to a friend asking 'are you up?', however, this was not seen until later. When her flatmates knocked on her door later that day, they received no response, and calls made to her Amazon Alexa went unanswered.
At around 11.30pm, they approached a halls security guard, who unlocked the room and found Angel unresponsive in bed with empty packets of medication nearby. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 11.45pm.
A coroner determined that Angel, who lived on Daulby Street, died from an overdose of painkillers, which she had been prescribed by her GP in November 2021. Her funeral, which took place in her home town of Owestry in May, was attended by 400 people.
Claire said: "It was quite overwhelming. Everyone lit a candle in memory of her, and it was beautiful how everyone was able to come together to celebrate her life."
Coroner Kate Wilson said: "Outwardly, Angel appeared to have settled well into university life. She appeared to be enjoying life to the full; she was known to enjoy a drink socially, she has been described as a party animal and was the life and soul of many parties. But this appeared to be a coping mechanism to deal with family relationships and social events which, despite her popularity, Angel appeared to struggle with."
Handing down a narrative conclusion, she added: "(Angel) had a history of anxiety, depression and self harm, however, she did not express any suicidal ideation at the time... She had consumed a large amount of alcohol and it was unlikely that she was aware of the consequences of her actions."
Angel had a love of make-up and special effects, and wanted to run her own make-up business in the future.
Claire said: "When you're looking at your problems it can feel overwhelming, and often things can feel worse before they feel better, and it's just a shame that Angel never got the chance to see it from the other side.
"We're never going to get over this, but we have to learn to live with the loss. We have to live our lives to the full knowing she has been lost, and do it for her. She was loved by all who knew her, and I just wish she could have seen it in that moment of madness.
"She will be greatly missed. All of us feel she will live on within our hearts, and I hope to see her again some day."
- Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. Alternatively, email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.
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