A much-loved mum-of-two took her own life following an evening in the pub with friends, an inquest heard. Nicola Hanley, mum to Cory and Jacob, had becoming 'increasingly withdrawn' in the weeks before her death on New Year's Eve, LancsLive reports.
She had spent the afternoon and night of Friday, December 30, with friends in her local pub in Langho, near Blackburn.
She made several 'odd' comments throughout the course of the night and at times appeared 'dazed' but she appeared to snap out of it, an inquest heard.
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At around 10.10pm Nicola's partner, Christopher Robinson, turned up at the pub but she pushed him away when he tried to put his arm around her shoulders. Later on he tried to dance with her but she ignored him.
At the end of the night Nicola was about to walk home but Mr Robinson insisted she get a taxi or he would walk with her. She then got into a taxi alone back to her home in Petre Wood Crescent.
Nicola's mum Janet Ross woke the following morning to a text message from her daughter, sent at 2.09am, in which she said: "Love you, don't let Jacob in". Mr Robinson had also received a worrying text and turned up at Nicola's home later that afternoon.
He obtained a key from Janet, who lives a few doors away, and went inside. Several framed pictures had been turned around and Nicola was found dead inside.
At an inquest held today (Monday April 24) at Preston Coroner's Court Assistant Coroner Laura Fox read extracts from a statement written by Janet after her daughter's death. In it she revealed that Nicola's mental health and well-being had deteriorated due to problems in her relationship with Mr Robinson and said 'she became withdrawn and didn't laugh as she once did'.
Nicola's daughter Cory also gave a statement. She described how her mum had stopped eating in the weeks before her death and had lost weight. Cory also recalled how Nicola had 'become withdrawn and stopped laughing and speaking as she once did'.
Returning a conclusion of suicide the coroner said: "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 Her mental health and well-being had deteriorated, she had become increasingly withdrawn and didn't laugh as she once did."
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