A ‘very bright’ woman found dead in a south Manchester hotel room intended to take her own life, a coroner has ruled.
Laura Elizabeth Ingham, 37, died on February 9, 2022, having been discovered on the floor of room 27 in the Imperial Hotel on Hathersage Road, Rusholme, by a cleaner shortly before 11am. Paramedics who arrived at the scene tragically pronounced Laura dead later that morning, coroner Zak Golombeck found at an inquest this morning.
The hearing, at the Coroners’ Court on St Ann’s Square, heard evidence from Laura’s mother, Jeanette. She attended the hearing via video link.
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In what is known as a documentary inquest, her evidence was submitted as a written statement, read aloud by Mr Golombeck. He said: “Laura was a very bright and clever student and a good all-rounder in respect to subjects she studied, but it was maths which she excelled at.
“You [Jeanette] refer to other personal and medical issues in terms of Laura and particularly some physical injuries that she suffered from over a period of time… as well as touching upon her mental health history as well, which was something that did affect Laura throughout a number of years.”
A toxicology report from a Dr Evans found that there were amounts of alcohol and cocaine in Laura’s system at the time of her passing. However, the quantity of each was not large, Mr Golombeck added, saying the amount of alcohol ‘just greater than the legal driving limit’.
Police investigations found no third-party involvement in Laura’s death, and no suspicious circumstances were recorded.
Phone records from a mobile found in the room also showed Laura had sent a text message to a friend, indicating her intentions to take her own life. That led Mr Golombeck to record a conclusion of suicide.
“For the conclusion of suicide I must consider whether, on the balance of probabilities, Laura intended to take her own life on February 9,” he told the court. “Having considered the totality of the evidence I am satisfied that Laura did intend to take her ownlife, therefore I must return a conclusion of suicide."
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