Sophie Shambley, a mother of two, was found dead on the tracks of Bryn Railway Station on December 19, 2025, just days before Christmas. An inquest at Bolton Coroner's Court heard she had sent final text messages to her family, including her children, before her death.
Final Messages and Family Testimony
Sophie's husband, Shaun Shambley, told the hearing that the family had a 'good' day, buying a turkey for a Christmas meal Sophie had planned. That evening, during a phone call with her mother-in-law, Sophie said 'she did not deserve' her husband. The mother-in-law then contacted Shaun, who spoke with Sophie for an hour in the back garden. When he entered the home, Sophie was no longer there.
Shaun used a GPS app called 'Life360' to locate Sophie at Bryn Railway Station. The court heard Sophie had sent texts to her mother, children, and husband. Her text to her mother read 'good night, mum' at 5.30pm, which her mother Joanne McGarrigan described as 'unusual'. Sophie left a message on her child's phone: "Daddy will look after you now. Good night darling." To her husband, she wrote: "Tell the kids I love them so much and you."
Mental Health History
The inquest heard Sophie had suffered from mental health issues since 2013, when she was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. She had post-natal depression after both births and was estranged from her family for a period. Her husband said, "She always said that she only had one good week a month."
Days before her death, Sophie had lost two grandparents. Her father, Adrian Roscoe, said: "They affected her, but I think there was other things going on in her life as well, but she didn't show everything." He noted "there was an accumulation of things" and "she found it difficult with Sean working away." However, the court heard Sophie often took 'active steps' to address her problems.
Inquest Conclusion
Dr Sakir Patel, Sophie's GP, detailed her health records, noting she moved to Gran Canaria in 2017 and returned in 2020, requesting more medication. In 2024, she 'stopped drinking altogether' and engaged with a drug, alcohol, and mental health support charity for nine months, making 'significant progress'. Dr Patel described her suicidal ideations as 'fleeting' and said there were 'no concerns' about her mental health in December 2025.
Sophie's cause of death was recorded as polytrauma. Coroner Stephen Teasdale reached a conclusion of suicide.
