Loving mum faced 'domestic disharmony' and mental health issues before she died

A mum who “doted” on her three children was dealing with mental health issues and the breakdown of her relationship when she died at the age of 36, an inquest heard.
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Tricia Cross’ family became concerned when they had not heard from her and went to her home in Tyldesley on October 3.

An inquest at Bolton Crown Court heard they did not get a response so phoned 999 and a neighbour who knew first aid broke into the house to help.

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But Tricia was found unresponsive and paramedics confirmed she had died.

Tricia CrossTricia Cross
Tricia Cross

A three-page handwritten letter addressed to “everyone, including my gorgeous kids” was found next to family photographs.

The court heard Tricia was one of eight children and was born in Warrington, before the family moved to Ashton and she attended Cansfield High School. She initially worked in a factory, before becoming an estate agent and later moving into sales and marketing. She was due to begin a new job, for which she had been “head-hunted”.

Her family said she was an “excellent mum and loved her children dearly”, always putting them before herself.

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But they had concerns about her relationship with partner Andrew Thomas and feared she was being “distanced” from the family, the court heard.

Last summer, Tricia admitted she was struggling to cope with her father’s death the previous year and was suffering from stress, anxiety and low mood. She had taken an overdose after his death.

She was prescribed an anti-depressant in July and the dose was increased from 10mg to 40mg daily by September.

Her GP was trying to arrange counselling, but warned the waiting list was "quite extensive”.

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Dr Zulqarnian Shah, a GP and medical director for SSP Health, told the inquest this was “quite a standard pathway” for patients.

Tricia was also dealing with “domestic disharmony” as her relationship was breaking down, the court heard.

Police were called to the family home several times in the week before she died as the couple made “allegation and counter-allegation”.

Neither of them made a formal complaint and Tricia and Andrew separated, the court heard.

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Toxicology tests carried out after Tricia died found she had taken anti-depressants, which pathologist Dr Naveen Sharma said was “far in excess of the normal therapeutic range” and within the range reported in other deaths. He explained this could could cardiac problems and seizures.

Its effect was exacerbated by amphetamine, which the court heard could be prescribed medication or an illicit drug, though it was not known how she had got it.

Tricia had taken several other medications which were not thought to have contributed to her death.

The inquest heard two bags with medications prescribed to her and her estranged partner were found, with several empty blister packets recovered.

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Her cause of death was given as mixed anti-depressant and amphetamine toxicity.

Recording a conclusion of suicide, coroner Timothy Brennand said: “I don’t think this is something she had been planning for a long period of time at all. I think it was, in fact, a fleeting ideation that she had, perhaps while low in the house, contemplating the enormity of the fact she was in the phase of domestic turmoil, disharmony and dysfunction.”

If you need to talk, call Samaritans on 116 123.

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