A loving mum who doted on her two children tragically died after taking a fatal combination of painkillers and sedatives.
Nicole Bramhill, 29, suffered from chronic back pain and was on strong medication to alleviate the agony, an inquest heard.
Nicole was discovered unresponsive at her home in Nafferton, Yorkshire, on April 18, 2021, by her boyfriend Cameron Wright, Hull Live reports.
He called an ambulance and gave CPR but she was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
Area coroner Lorraine Harris concluded that her death was down to misadventure.
Afterwards, Nicole’s dad John Bramhill paid tribute to his daughter. He said: “She was such a loving person and she adored her kids. She was also loved so much by her family.
“She was passionate about hairdressing but later job a job as a care worker.
“Nicole also loved animals and had lots of friends.
“We will miss everything about her and the saddest part is that she won’t now get to see her children grow up.”
The inquest heard how Nicole was born and brought up in Lincolnshire before the family moved to Driffield when she was 16 years old.
She had a passion for hairdressing and began a course before moving into care work.
Her daughter was born in 2013 but, when the child was 18 months old, Nicole and her partner split up.
Nicole then moved to Nafferton and met Mr Wright and they had a son together in 2019.
Nicole’s mental health began to suffer in 2018 due to the back pain from scoliosis and insomnia and she was prescribed anti-depressants.
In a statement read out at the inquest, Nicole’s sister said Nicole was ten years older and the two only became close when she was around 16 years old.
Her sister said: “Nicole always seemed to have a lot of friends and seemed happy. We became close and would go together and get tattoos.
“She had a dog, cats and sometimes guinea pigs."
Nicole's sister said having a baby just before the Covid pandemic was a tough time for her.
She said: “Her son was born in 2019 and she was prescribed anti-depressants.
“I know that lockdown frustrated her and was stuck at home with her baby, unable to socialise.
“We FaceTimed every day and we spoke on the day before she died. We were laughing and joking throughout.”
Mr Wright gave evidence in person at the inquest and was visibly upset.
He told the inquest he and Nicole had been on and off for four or five years after meeting through mutual friends.
He was 19 years old at the time and Nicole was his first proper girlfriend.
Their son was born in September 2019.
Concerns had been expressed by the tumultuous nature of their relationship but Mr Wright said: “We had arguments in our relationship but nothing more than any normal couple.
“Nicole got herself in some debt but she wanted her children to have everything.”
Mr Wright told the inquest he had no major concerns over Nicole’s mental health and she had never overdosed or self-harmed previously.
He said that, as well as back pain, in the days before her death Nicole had also complained of having toothache.
But he was concerned by the amount of medication she had – some of which he did not recognise as her prescribed drugs and took one of the strips off her.
On the day before she died, Mr Wright got home from work and then went out to a friend’s house.
He said there was nothing unusual about Nicole’s demeanour other than suffering from toothache and said she was looking forward to a trip out to Scarborough the next day.
That night she seemed fine, he said, and he had not seen her taking any medication.
He said she seemed awake and alert while in bed that night and he went to sleep before her.
He woke up the next day and made the children breakfast but when he went to wake Nicole up she was unresponsive.
He called 999 and began giving her CPR but when the ambulance crew arrived she was pronounced dead.
He said: “I do not think this was a purposeful overdose, definitely not.
“She loved her kids too much and she would never do that.”
A toxicology report found a number of drugs in Nicole’s system including prescribed painkillers, anti-depressants as well as illicit sedatives.
Pathologist Dr Ian Richmond said the combined effect of all the drugs led to her death and concluded she died of “mixed drug toxicity”.
The inquest also heard how Nicole’s doctor had previously warned her against mixing her painkillers with the anti-depressants.
In delivering her conclusion of misadventure, Ms Harris ruled out suicide.
She said: “While Nicole intended to take the drugs she never intended to take her own life. This was a young lady who had lots to live for and loved her children.
“I offer my very sincere condolences. It is evident to me, by the number of people here today, how well loved Nicole was.
“She loved her children and was close to her family. She knew how well loved she was and had a good circle of friends.
“It is absolutely devastating someone can lose her life so young."
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