Mum went for lunch with her baby daughter hours before jumping to her death
A MUM went for lunch with her baby daughter hours before jumping to her death from a bridge.
Stephanie Housley, 34, had dreamed of having a child and appeared to enjoy a meal with a relative hours before falling on to the A50 in Stoke-on-Trent in March.
The relative had taken the one-year-old home.
North Staffordshire coroner’s court was told Stephanie, from Stoke, struggled with postnatal depression after her baby was diagnosed with colic.
James Walton, who had been in a relationship with Stephanie for 18 months said: “She just wanted to be a mum.”
He added: “It was a hard time for both of us, especially waking up every two hours, we didn’t know what was wrong.”
Recording a conclusion of suicide, assistant coroner Sarah Murphy said: “We heard she had a lovely time in the afternoon.
“There was absolutely no indication that that was going through her mind.
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“There was absolutely no way that Mr Walton, or any of her family, could have known that that was her intention.
“I hope her family and friends go away knowing there was nothing they could have done to prevent this. She was taking medication and had sought help.
“She was a good mother and had returned to work, doing the best she could for her family.”
YOU'RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123