A family has been left devastated by two losses, after the mum of a teenage boy who took his own life was found dead at the same spot just weeks later.
Camille Hardman told family she 'no longer felt able to survive without' her son. Ethan Hardman's body was found in a wooded area of Walton-le-Dale, Lancashire, on October 14 last year, reports LancashireLive.
The talented footballer took his own life a few months after his 16th birthday. Days after Ethan's death Camille was admitted to a mental health unit after her family raised the alarm about her repeatedly expressing suicidal thoughts.
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An inquest heard she was discharged in order to allow her to attend his funeral, on November 9. But as the weeks went on, she continued to voice her intention to end her life.
Despite ongoing support from her partner Richard Benson, as well as her siblings and input from the community mental health team, Camille "no longer felt able to survive without Ethan" and began to experience visions of his body being found. On December 8, just six weeks after Ethan's death, Camille walked to the spot where he had died and took her own life aged 45.
At an inquest held on Monday (May 22) at Preston Coroner's Court, extracts from a statement by Camille's partner Richard described how her mental health had been "extremely fragile" after Ethan's death. He persuaded Camille to stay at his home in Leeds after the funeral but police were called when she left his house and booked herself into a hotel for three days.
Officers from West Yorkshire Police visited Camille at the hotel but only spoke to her through the door. Camille's family said that had they gone inside the room they would have seen items bought in order to end her life. Area Coroner Kate Bisset described the force's actions as "appalling" and also criticised them for failing to inform Richard of Camille's death when asked to do so by Lancashire Constabulary.
On the morning of December 8, after Camille had moved back to her home in Walton-le-Dale, Tony Gardner was walking his dog before heading to work when he came across her sat on the footpath in a wooded area. In a statement he later told police: "I said 'good morning, it's a bit cold to be sitting on the path' and she seemed a bit wistful.
"I felt it was a bit suspicious and then she said 'just over there my son killed himself six weeks ago'. I realised who she was. Ethan was a similar age to my son who knew him."
Mr Gardner said he helped Camille to her feet and was reassured she was going home. Later that afternoon he saw a Facebook post she made in which she seemed a "bit more upbeat". Mr Gardner messaged Camille inviting her to go for a walk but she didn't reply and a few days later he discovered she had been found dead.
Mr Gardner said he was "shocked and horrified". He said he would "always wonder if there was anything different" he could have done. Area Coroner Kate Bisset addressed his concerns and said his concern was a "reflection of his kindness" and added: "He is not responsible and did everything he could including reaching out to her."
Detective Inspector Mark Riley, the senior investigating officer, said that when police searched Camille's home they found several pictures of Ethan on the sofa. She had left her home via a side gate which her family said was so "concerned neighbours wouldn't have been alerted to her leaving" and so she wasn't captured on her Ring doorbell camera.
Camille's family praised the community mental health team who they said did "everything they could" but added that as an intelligent woman she was capable of convincing people she was ok when she wasn't. When she was struggling with her grief she would say that she had "lost her purpose" and was "constantly thinking about what had happened" to Ethan.
GP Dr Manoon Nair said Camille was last seen at a face-to-face appointment on December 5. Medical notes indicated she stated she had no suicidal thoughts and was "hoping to get better".
The inquest heard that on December 8 Camille's sister Dana called police after discovering Camille wasn't at home and had left her phone. The family also later found a note in which she had described what she wanted to happen after her death.
In his statement her partner Richard said: "It is clear in the note she had thought carefully about what was going to happen. She was simply in too much pain and couldn't imagine living without her son."
Returning a conclusion of suicide the coroner said: "Camille, understandably, was destroyed by the loss of her much-loved son and her heart was broken beyond repair. She suffered from catastrophic grief.
"The loss of her only child is unthinkable. It was unsurvivable for Camille. She felt no longer able to survive. Her family has suffered enough tragedy for 100 lifetimes.
"Suicide tears lives apart and sends shockwaves through families and communities. The world is never a better place through the loss of any life through suicide."
You don't have to suffer in silence if you're struggling with your mental health.
Here are some groups you can contact:
Samaritans: Phone 116 123, 24 hours a day, or email jo@samaritans.org, in confidence.
Childline: Phone 0800 1111. Calls are free and won't show up on your bill.
PAPYRUS: Suicide prevention charity offering professional help and support to children, young people and anyone concerned for someone struggling with life. Call HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141, text 07860 039 967 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org.
Depression Alliance: A charity for people with depression. No helpline, but it offers useful resources and links to other information.
Students Against Depression: A website for students who are depressed, have low mood, or are suicidal. Click here to visit.
Bullying UK: A website for both children and adults affected by bullying. Click here.
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): For young men who are feeling unhappy. There is a helpline: 0800 58 58 58 or visit the website.
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