A mum who lost all her childhood memories in a horror crash killed herself years later after battling a series of issues, an inquest has heard.
Stacey Coulthard, 38, had visited a pal and had several drinks before walking home with son Kain Elden in the early hours of the morning.
After a bite to eat, Kain went up to bed – but he was awoken by a concerned phone call from one of Stacey’s friends, the hearing was told.
He then discovered his mum’s body and alerted emergency services.
A post-mortem examination confirmed "caring" Stacey had died from aspyhxia due to strangulation, with the alcohol she had consumed that night being a contributory factor, StokeonTrent Live reports.
The inquest heard the last contact her own mum, Carol Thompson, had with her was a worrying text message hours before her body was found.
The assistant coroner concluded her death was a result of suicide.
Stacey, a care home support worker had ‘just got on with it’ whenever she encountered fresh challenges in her life, the hearing was told.
But the final turning point came after she was injured at work, which left her with shoulder and neck pains and in need of surgery.
She had to take time off to recover from the operation and this led to problems in accessing housing benefit and paying her council rent.
By the time she died, she owed thousands of pounds from various debts.
The mum-of-three’s body was found at her home in Mollison Road in Meir, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, on December 9 last year.
The hearing was told she had been visiting a friend the previous evening and had seemed in good spirits. She also had several drinks before walking home with Kain at around 2am, it was said.
Kain said they then had a bite to eat and his mum decided to sleep downstairs. He set up the settee for her and went up to bed himself.
However, after being awoken by a phone call from one of her pals, he went downstairs, found her body and alerted the emergency services.
The former Newstead Primary and Blurton High pupil had been known as a popular and friendly person, whose talents in sport had shone through during her school days.
But when she was around 20 years old, Stacey had been a passenger in a car involved in a motorway pile-up.
She suffered a brain injury that led to long-term problems with depression and anxiety, the inquest heard.
Mrs Thompson said: “She lost all her childhood memories.
"She never got them back.”
But she described how her daughter had always ‘battled through, no matter what’ and had been determined to keep on working.
She had never previously expressed suicidal thoughts, although she was on medication and had received counselling.
Mrs Thompson had spoken to her daughter most days.
The last contact she had was the concerning text message hours before Stacey was found dead.
She called one of her daughter’s friends, who lived nearby, to check on her. By then, it was too late as Stacey had already died.
The inquest was told that Stoke-on-Trent City Council had been working with Stacey to help her manage her £200 rent arrears and she was in no danger of being evicted.
But there had been some ‘confusion’ over her entitlement to housing benefit when she was off sick.
Concluding Stacey’s death was a result of suicide, North Staffordshire assistant coroner David James said: “She was a very caring daughter and very caring mother, who clearly had an extremely able and talented young life, only hampered by matters that were beyond her control.”
Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at [email protected]
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