A WOMAN died falling from a moving van as her boyfriend desperately tried to save her, an inquest heard.
Leah Senior, 27, told her partner she wanted to end her life before opening the passenger door as he drove them in his Ford Transit.
An inquest heard he grabbed Leah’s coat in a heartbreaking bid to stop her falling but was “unable to get to her”.
The boyfriend, who hasn’t been named, then stopped the van and pulled injured Leah to the side of the road.
Tragically she couldn’t be saved and died at the scene in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, on January 17 from chest injuries.
The inquest was told Leah was a “loving child” who was “always laughing and smiling” but her mental health declined when she turned 13 following the death of her grandmother.
Leah later became an accountant but developed problems with alcohol while working in Leeds, Yorkshire Live reports.
Her mum Hayley said: “We felt she had gone downhill massively. She was drinking at work and the company found out. They didn’t want to sack her so she resigned and they gave her a good reference.
“She worked for ASDA doing the books but working from home and that’s when her drinking got worse.”
In 2020, Leah was prescribed medication for depression after Hayley and her husband Neil became “very concerned” over her mental health.
She was also referred to a mental health group where a worker said she was not an alcoholic, but a “dependant drinker”.
Hayley told the court: “They said there was nothing wrong with Leah.
“In 2021 to 2022, Leah had a mental breakdown. I was constantly asking for help for her. She also saw a psychiatrist who said there was nothing wrong with her. We were doing the absolute best to get the help she needed.
“She was given a drug to help with her cravings with alcohol and would go for months without drinking then would go on a binge and go to hotels.”
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
HUMEN www.wearehumen.org
Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
Samaritans,www.samaritans.org, 116 123
On the day of her death, Leah was due to meet with a community nurse but asked for the chat to be rearranged as she had clients to see.
She went to work then later asked her boyfriend to pick her up from her home in Wakefield when the tragedy unfolded.
The court heard the HMET (Homicide and Major Enquiry Team) investigated Leah’s death but found no suspicious circumstances.
Hayley said: “Our family liaison officer told us she took her own life. She never expressed to us she wanted to do that.
“As her parents we are so shocked at what happened. We never saw this coming and are devastated.”
Recording a verdict of suicide, the coroner said Leah had deliberately falling from the van after trying to “cope with the demons in her life”.
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
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