A family has been left heartbroken after a grieving father died just hours after his daughter's funeral. The father of tragic carer Katie Davenport had an epileptic fit the night of her funeral and passed away, an inquest into Katie's death heard on March 8.
Katie, described by her sister Lianne Clegg as "the most beautiful, funniest girl with the most infectious laugh", died 13 days after jumping from a fire escape at a club in Southport, Merseyside, on September 4. The Liverpool Echo reports Katie, 23, had been placed on the fire escape at around 2am by a door supervisor at Hey Amigos nightclub after getting into an "altercation" while on a night out with work colleagues.
But when the door supervisor turned around to check if Katie and her friend had left, he could only watch as she jumped from the balcony, an inquest into her death heard. Katie suffered traumatic brain injuries and had to have brain surgery at neurology hospital The Walton Centre, but she died 13 days after the incident with her boyfriend Niall by her side.
In a heartbreaking statement made on behalf of Katie's family and boyfriend Niall, sister Lianne said that although Katie had struggled with her mental health over the years, she was in a good place and was "confident, outgoing and loving life". She had been saving up for a mortgage, had recently passed her driving test, had been looking forward to going on holiday and had got a second job in healthcare which she "adored".
Lianne also explained how they had lost Katie's dad on the same day as Katie's funeral, which had been "devastating" for them. Her funeral had been held at the West Lancashire Cemetery and Crematorium on October 14, and Katie's dad tragically suffered an epileptic fit hours later and passed away.
"I can't even begin to describe the pain and heartache we have gone through since losing our beautiful Katie," Lianne said. "She was the most beautiful, funniest girl with the most infectious laugh.
"Katie had struggled with her mental health over the years but reached out for help and along with the help and support of her partner Niall had got to a place in her life where she was confident, outgoing and loving life. She had recently passed her driving test, saving up for a mortgage, booked a holiday and got a second job in health care - a job she adored doing.
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"She worked extremely hard she was motivated and determined to save as much money as she could to live a happy and comfortable life. I have sat for months and months and tried to put together the night's events, this has been painful and difficult and most of all frustrating, the impact this has had on our family has been devastating, not only losing Katie we also lost her dad a few weeks later after he took an epileptic fit the night of her funeral and sadly passed away.
"I have been to the fire escape of Hey Amigos, spoke with the staff that was working that night and also spoke with the people she was out with.
"I, along with other family members, received a Snapchat from Katie 20 minutes before the accident, she was happy, dancing and laughing on the dance floor of Hey Amigos showing no signs of distress or upset. Her partner Niall was in contact with her via messages all night messages that show she was not upset or distressed and, in fact, having a really good night out with her work colleagues, a rare night out as Katie very rarely drank or socialised as said before only recently had the confidence to start going out."
At the inquest into Katie's death, senior coroner Julie Goulding gave a narrative conclusion and said Katie died as a result of significant brain injuries with "insufficient evidence she wanted to take her own life".
