Inquest: tragic student nurse who died at Wigan home on Christmas Day

Jennifer Ford, who was known as Jen, was described as being “full of life” and a “wonderful daughter” by her mother Shirley Ford.

Bolton Coroner’s Court heard the 34-year-old planned to go to partner Craig Clough’s parents’ home for a meal on December 25, but he went alone after a minor disagreement.

When he returned, he found Miss Ford unresponsive, called 999 and started CPR. Sadly, she could not be revived and paramedics confirmed she had died.

The couple had been together for five years and lived on Ruskin Crescent, Abram, since February 2021.

Mr Clough told the court he had been in the “early stages” of planning a marriage proposal.

But the relationship was “strained” and Miss Ford told Mr Clough she wanted to end it.

The inquest heard Miss Ford had failed the first year of her nursing course, but was determined to resit it. Mr Clough told the hearing she was concerned about finding a job as her student loan payments were ending.

There were issues with her relationship with her family and she was in chronic pain due to fibromyalgia, the inquest heard.

Miss Ford’s GP told the court she had a history of depression and anxiety, which was managed with anti-depressant mirtazapine.

She also had medication to manage fibromyalgia and was reviewed at a pain clinic a week before she died.

Her medical records featured an overdose of medication in 2014, while Mr Clough said she threatened to take another overdose two years ago.

Toxicology tests after Miss Ford’s death found the level of mirtazapine in her blood was two-and-a-half times the amount usually associated with fatalities, while there was also 1.7 times the fatal amount of amitriptyline, which was prescribed for her pain.

Consultant pathologist Dr Naveen Sharma recorded the cause of her death as acute amitriptyline and mirtazapine toxicity.

A police investigation found no suspicious circumstances and a letter in Miss Ford’s handwriting was discovered in the house.

Coroner Michael Pemberton concluded she died by suicide.

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