Mother's suicide after "awful Christmas" - inquest report

Mother of two Christine Poulton, 42, of Toomey Road, was found by her sister Mrs Pauline Russell on January 2.

At the Horsham hearing on Thurs-day, Mrs Russell told West Sussex deputy coroner Dr David Skipp: "Christine had been separated from her husband on and off for about a year. She was a depressive.

"She found out that her husband had been cheating on her. She stayed with me for about six months and she was still a bit depressed. She never picked up from that episode.

"Her husband promised to come back to her, but he didn't. The last text message she sent me said she had had an awful Christmas and that it was never going to happen again."

Mrs Russell said her sister's depression had got worse since June last year and she had tried to get the hospital to section her. "We thought she had taken pills, but Worthing Hospital said there was not enough in her blood and that she'd had a breakdown. She was seeing a psychiatrist."

After Christmas, Mrs Russell found her sister had vomited and died in her own home. "There was no note," she added.

Toxicology tests on the deceased's body during a post-mortem examination revealed lethal traces of a cocktail of painkillers and tranquillisers.

It was estimated by a pathologist that Mrs Poulton had been dead for 24 to 36 hours when she was found by her sister.

The hearing was told that the last anyone had heard from her was a text message to a friend on December 31.

Summing up, Dr Skipp said: "Christ-ine was suffering depression. I suspect she took the drugs on New Year's Eve."

He recorded a verdict that Mrs Poulton had killed herself.