Suicide woman 'had no way out'

Leila Ann Williams, who lived in Eunal Court in Well Close, Crabbs Cross, was found by a neighbour after she hanged herself on November 24.

The 26 year old had been due to attend Worcester Crown Court on November 22 facing two charges of racially aggravated assault and attempting to pervert the course of justice but did not turn up.

The inquest heard she visited her son, who is in foster care, instead and gave him a picture of herself and a letter.

When the contents of the letter, suggesting she was "going away", were discovered, police were sent to her home and she was taken by ambulance to the Alexandra Hospital.

She was assessed by a team of psychologists and social workers and was released and driven home by an old school friend, who she stayed with that night.

Her friend dropped her off at 9.15am the following morning and just before 10am, her next door neighbour, Mark Grant, heard a noise like a door slamming.

He found her hanging by a rope and called the emergency services, who declared her dead. A syringe was also found next to her body.

The inquest heard Miss Williams had a history of addiction to heroin, which was also found in a blood sample.

Worcestershire Coroner Victor Round said Miss Williams had led a "colourful and troubled life" and had been arrested a number of times as well as seeing drugs workers about her addiction.

A police report said: "It's clear from the tone of the letters that Leila was into drugs and could not get out of it.

''Knowing she was going to lose her son, who was up for adoption, and was facing a lengthy prison sentence, she could see no way out."

Mr Round said Dr Eddie Tapp had given the cause of death as hanging and the way she had died, known as vagal inhibition, meant her heart had stopped suddenly.

He added: "She did not suffocate, it's quick and sudden and painless, everything just shuts down at once. I have to return the verdict that she took her own life."