Dr Sara Gilks, 32, who had a distinguished academic career and considered one of West Yorkshire Police's most respected volunteer officers, was found dead by her friend
A heartbroken special constable text a friend saying her boyfriend had "absolutely destroyed me" before killing herself when he ended the relationship, an inquest heard.
Dr Sara Gilks, 32, who had a distinguished academic career and considered one of West Yorkshire Police's most respected volunteer officers, told friends she was shattered by the break-up.
The court was told that she had begun to research suicide methods over the internet before she was found dead in her bed by her friend Diane Hirst.
She told the inquest : “I received a message from her saying her boyfriend had split up with her and she was ‘proper gutted’. She was very upset.
“It was clear that she was so shocked by what had happened. He had booked a skiing holiday for them. The next morning, she said she couldn’t stop crying.”
Diane became worried when she did not hear from her friend again and two days later she let herself in Sara’s flat in Huddersfield during the evening.
She said: “I went into her bedroom. She was wearing her pyjamas. I grabbed her arm, it was cold. There were packets of tablets on the bed.
“I was so shocked and upset I couldn’t speak. I never thought she would do such a thing.”
Bradford Coroner’s Court was told Dr Gilks worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Manchester.
She had graduated Huddersfield University with a first in forensic and analytic chemistry in 2009 before gaining a PhD from the University of Manchester.
But she had a history of depression and her self-confidence evaporated in the aftermath of relationship breakdowns.
Coroner Martin Fleming concluded that she had taken her own life adding it was clear that the latest break-up had “severely impacted on her.”
He added: “On the same day she appears to have trawled the internet to find ways of ending her life.
“No-one could have known at that stage that she had very dark thoughts. There was no immediate cause to be worried about her.”
Expressing his sympathy to the family in court, he added: “She had her whole life ahead of her.”
Her former boss at West Yorkshire Police Supt Paul Jeffrey said: “Sara was very highly thought of and won several commendations for her work as a special constable.
“The fact that she was a special constable speaks volumes for her character and her dedication to helping others.
“Colleagues were very distressed to hear of her death and she will be greatly missed.”
0 comments:
Post a Comment