According to an inquest, a grieving mother committed suicide eight weeks after her son, age 16, killed himself at the same location.
Due to the fact that she “couldn’t live without him,” 45-year-old Camille Hardman acted out her son Ethan’s suicide exactly.
Football player Ethan committed suicide in October of last year, a few months after turning 16.
Days after his death, heartbroken Camille was admitted to a mental health unit after her family raised the alarm about her expressing suicidal thoughts.
On December 8, her sister called round at her home in Walton-le-Dale, near Preston, Lancashire, to find the doors wide open.
Camille wasn’t in the house and it appeared she had left by the side gate to avoid being seen on a neighbours doorbell camera, the court heard.
She left a note in which she described how she struggled to cope since Ethan died and what she wanted to happen after her death, the court was told.
After a search, her body was found at an area known as Forty Steps in nearby woodland – by the same police officer who had discovered her son’s body there just weeks before.
Area Coroner Kate Bisset said: ‘This was an absolute tragedy, utterly heart-breaking.
‘Camille was an intelligent, articulate and loving lady and Ethan was the light of her life.
‘When Ethan died she was destroyed by the loss, her heart was broken beyond repair.’
Preston Coroner’s Court heard Camille, an HR administrator, had a history of depression stretching back 20 years and had made numerous threats to end her life.
The inquest heard she found life ‘too much’ when her only child killed himself on October 14 after splitting up from his girlfriend.
He was also struggling to deal with the death of his grandmother and the pressure of starting his first job, it was heard.
Camille’s partner Richard Benson broke down in court as he revealed that on a number of occasions over the next eight weeks she expressed an intention to take her own life.
He said: ‘Camille had lots of challenges and had struggles with her mental health. But she was very loving, kind, funny and intelligent.’
The inquest was told that she’d been detained for a short period in Leeds under the Mental Health Act following concerns from her family and health care professionals.
But she had managed to get out of the unit and spent three days on her own in a hotel, where she tried unsuccessfully to kill herself.
The Coroner read out a statement from the family which said she had been given anti-depressants following Ethan’s death because her mental health had deteriorated.
She had periods of heavy drinking and had started attending meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, the inquest heard.
Tony Garner told how was out walking his dog in Holland Wood, Walton-le-Dale when he came across Camille sitting on steps early one morning.
He told the inquest: ‘She said she was fine. I got about six feet beyond her and she said “just over there my son killed himself.”‘
Camille told Mr Garner about spending three days in a hotel in Leeds trying to kill herself with drink and pills.
He told the inquest: ‘I helped her up and she said she would be OK. So I went home and went to work, but it played on my mind.
‘Later that day I saw a Facebook post in which she seemed upbeat. I messaged her back inviting her to go for a walk if she wanted to talk.
‘Then I saw a post later that she had gone back to those woods and took her own life. I realised I was probably one of the last people to see her alive.’
Det Insp Mark Riley said when he visited Camille’s house there were photos of Ethan laid out on the settee as well as a framed football shirt of his.
Her mobile phone was recovered and it contained an account of what she was intending to do.
An investigation later showed mental health professionals involved had done everything they could and could not be blamed.
But it flagged up ‘frustration’ that West Yorkshire Police had not been forthcoming with information from Camille’s time ‘missing’ in Leeds.
Mental health nurse Natalie Maher told the inquest: ‘Her mood was low, she was spending long periods of time in bed, constantly thinking about her son and what had happened to him.
‘She was experiencing feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. She didn’t want to be here any more. She wanted to be with her son.’
Reaching a conclusion of suicide, Ms Bisset said Camille had been drinking half a bottle of vodka a day at times.
She said Ethan’s death had caused her to suffer ‘catastrophic’ mental health problems, adding: ‘The loss of a child is unthinkable, but it was unsurvivable for Camille.’
She said it appeared that Camille had been deliberately calculating in what she told mental health staff so she had the space and opportunity to do what she intended.
Ms Bisset added: ‘The services did everything they could to support her mental health.
‘I am equally satisfied Richard and her family could not have done any more to protect her.
‘There is nothing that could have been done differently by that family. And the man in the woods is not responsible in any way.’