Mother-of-four, 26, took her own life after she was left ‘living in fear’ of her ‘abusive and manipulative’ ex-boyfriend, inquest hears

• Olivia Humphreys, 26, fled 220 miles from former home in Scotland to Salford 
• But the mother-of-four was still anxious ex-partner would turn up at her house
• She took an overdose of tablets last year after penning her feelings in a diary

Olivia Humphreys, 26, took her own life after living in fear of her ex-boyfriend, an inquest has heard

A mother-of-four took her own life after she was left living in fear of her ‘abusive’ ex-boyfriend, an inquest has heard.

Olivia Humphreys, 26, had fled 220 miles from her former home in Scotland and moved to to a new house in Salford, Greater Manchester, to be closer to her father.

But she was still anxious the unnamed man would turn up at her home which left her struggling to cope with her young children and fearful of stepping outside her front door.

On July 15 2020, Miss Humphreys took an overdose after penning her feelings in a diary. 

She called 999 herself to stop the children finding her but paramedics were unable to revive her.

Her final harrowing entry in her diary read: ‘Woke up feeling sh*t again, I have no motivation. The depression on Sunday was too much. All my magic feelings have disappeared. The demon depression is back.’

In her note she was said to have expressed sorrow to her children, adding that she would ‘be with her children everywhere they go’ and gave instructions for her funeral. 

The hearing in Bolton was told Miss Humphreys had settled in Irvin in 2001.

Mr Humphreys said: ‘At 16 she gave birth to her first child and has since had three more children but the father of her children is someone who was extremely abusive towards her.

‘He was involved in drugs and was behaving in a way that was manipulative by keeping her away from me. He was manipulative for his own agenda.

‘She ended up having mental health problems because of the toxic relationship she had with the father of her children. There were times in her life where things became too much to bear so she used drugs and alcohol as a way of coping.

Miss Humphreys was anxious the unnamed man would turn up at her home which left her struggling to cope with her young children and fearful of stepping outside her front door

‘I believe he got into her mind so much that she could not cope without him. She pushed herself away from me when I tried to offer to help. She had also self harmed before when she was in Scotland although they were probably cries for help, she needed support.’

The hearing was told Miss Humphreys eventually ended the relationship in early 2020 and moved to the Salford area as she felt safer with her father but it is thought her ex-partner turned up at a birthday party that April for one of the children.

Mr Humphreys added: ‘On Father’s Day last year she sent a text to say she had taken a lot of tablets and found that she could not cope so we went to the house. When we got there, we took her to the hospital and my wife and I took the children home.

‘Later we got a call from social services to say she had taken another overdose and they said things weren’t looking good. Her four-year-old had run out into the road and there was a near miss with a car. She felt guilty about that and was trying to blame herself.

‘My wife stayed with Olivia overnight and she seemed fine, and took the older children to school the next day. At 12.45pm my wife rang her and said: “Are you sure you are okay” and Olivia said she felt great, she had showered and put makeup on. She took her two younger children to nursery at lunch time. There was no concern she was concerned or upset at the time.

‘But by 1.30pm she started to take the tablets had a seizure and paramedics were unable to revive her. She left a note, although I do not think it could have been written in that time as it was 3 A4 sides of paper. 

‘She had no financial worries and would borrow money if she needed to to buy things. She had something on her mind and no one was going to stop what she was doing.’

Another entry in Miss Humphrey’s diary dated July 12 said: ‘Feeling like sh*t, completely exhausted. Kids talking to me like sh*t, I am unable to look after myself, children are not going to sleep until 12 or 1am.

‘They are physically hurting each other, why can I not cope? I am a parent, I am meant to be able to cope. Am, making crumpets and Nutella but have thoughts of putting a fork through my neck.’

Maurice Noble chair of Salford Community Safety Partnership which helped Miss Humphreys said: ‘There were allegations of domestic violence and a review is taking place. 

‘It is clear that issues date back to her early childhood and events in her early childhood where she suffered low level mental health depression and anxiety, which continued into her adult life and with her long term partner, these issues were intensified.

‘It appears she had a difficultly coping with some of her life experiences which were impaired by her mental health and four very young children who she has to look after. 

‘She was dedicated to her children and considered their safety a priority, but that was compromised with her ability to look after her children in the way she wanted to.

‘Clearly, she made a decision in early 2020 that she did not wish to continue in a relationship with her partner and instead she came to her family in Salford.

‘There is a highly complex set of background including her parenting, mental and physical well-being, her family and the father of her children.’

Amy Lawrence a a manager at Salford Home Based Treatment Team which helps people in a mental health crisis said: ‘She was struggling to cope with the children and had no real control.

‘Her four-year-old ran into the road and she was frightened a car might hit one of her children. I went round on July 14. She was increasingly overwhelmed. She was saying she was anxious about the children’s father coming from Scotland to support the children. She felt like she had no other choice.

‘She had daily thoughts about ending her life but no plans to do this. Her home was in disarray but she was engaging well. She appeared to be flat and in a low mood and was struggling to cope with her children. She was fearful of going outside. There were flies and bin bags in the kitchen, it was a catalogue of serious stress.’  

Recording a conclusion of suicide coroner Timothy Brennand said: ‘Olivia had much to live for and wanted to be the best mother she could be.

‘There is an awful lot of background to this which caused her anguish and depression and her father thought she had come to the end of the road. She had written a long, careful and thorough note which was addressed to her members of the family to explain why she did what she did.’ 

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