A tragic 21-year-old mum was found dead by her partner as their young son slept on a sofa in the next room, an inquest has heard. Zoe Winstanley, died by suicide at her home in Wigan, Greater Manchester, after suffering postnatal depression and “suicidal ideation” dating back to 2019.
Her partner, Bradley Marshall, found Zoe’s lifeless body after stopping by to pay her a visit – and was praised by a coroner for doing “everything you could in the crucial few seconds after discovering where she was”. The inquest heard how Bradley had carried Zoe out to the front garden and performed CPR, with neighbours also rushing outside to try and help.
However, despite the best efforts of paramedics who battled to save her life, she was sadly pronounced dead at the scene, reports the Mirror. Her relationship with Bradley was described at the inquest as having had its “ups and downs”.
On the Saturday before her death on Tuesday, April 16, Zoe indicated to pals an intention to take her own life, the inquest at Bolton Coroner’s Court heard. She had a “strong support network” of friends who checked up on her and messaged her over the following days.
Giving evidence, one friend said Zoe told her in a bar in Wigan: “I am going to do it, it does not matter what you say or do, but just not yet, not any time soon.” Zoe had gone into care and lived with a foster family from 2016, the court heard.
Her mum sadly passed away a year later, seven years after the death of her dad. Zoe’s sister, Jessica King, paid a touching tribute to her, telling the court: “We were one person. She lived with me until she went on to get her own house. We went on holidays every single year. We were one person – we spoke every day.”
She added there was “no indication or any need for us to worry that her mental health was suppressed. All she ever wanted was her own family. She wanted to be loved. She wore her heart on her sleeve. She did deal with a lot very, very well.”
In a statement, Bradley described Zoe as “loving and caring” and said she was “the best mother ever to our son”. Coroner Michael Pemberton recorded a verdict of suicide, and said he was satisfied on the balance of probabilities “there was an intention” and that Zoe had “made arrangements for the collecting of her son”.
He added that there was evidence that Zoe was a “loving mum” who had suffered “some adverse childhood experiences” and as a result had mental health difficulties. Mr Pemberton said Zoe had a strong support network, but she sometimes “avoided that network”, and was “not always one to seek help”.
Sending his condolences, Mr Pemberton said: “It is very clear to me that Zoe was a much-loved family member and friend. She was happy-go-lucky and would do anything for anyone.”
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