A much-beloved mother-of-two who 'lost her spark' was found dead at home after taking her own life after, an inquest heard. Nicola Hanley had spent an evening with friends in a pub in Lancashire before her death.
The mum spent Friday December 30 of last year with mates in the village of Langho, Lancashire, but was said to have made "odd comments" and seemed "dazed" throughout the day, reports the Mirror.
Later that evening, her partner Christopher Robinson, arrived at the bar but Nicola rejected him as he tried putting his arm around her shoulders. She also ignored him after he tried to get her to dance with him.
Nicola, mother to Cory and Jacob, was planning to walk home alone but Robinson insisted she get a taxi or he would accompany her on the walk home. She left in a taxi alone heading back home.
Her mother, Janet Ross, woke the next morning with a text from Nicola sent at around 2am that read: "Love you, don't let Jacob in". The inquest heard her partner also received a worrying text and visited her home later that afternoon, obtaining a key from her mother's who lived nearby and found Nicola dead.
Preston Coroner's Court Assistant Coroner Laura Fox read extracts from a statement written by Janet after her daughter's death. Her mother revealed Nicola had been suffering with mental health issues that had reportedly 'deteriorated' due to problems in her relationship with her partner. A segment read: "She became withdrawn and didn't laugh as she once did".
Nicola's daughter, Cory, told of how her mother had stopped eating in the weeks leading up to her death. She recalled her mother becoming "withdrawn" and had "stopped laughing and speaking as she once did".
The coroner noted after returning a conclusion of suicide: "Nicola was much loved mother, daughter and friend who had no recorded medical history but did have significant relationship problems which caused her great distress. Her mental health and well-being had deteriorated, she had become increasingly withdrawn and didn't laugh as she once did."
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