A 26-year-old mother of four took her own life after being left 'living in fear' of her abusive ex-boyfriend, an inquest has heard. Olivia Humphreys had moved 220 miles from Scotland to Salford, Greater Manchester, to be closer to her father, but remained anxious that her former partner would find her.
The inquest in Bolton heard that Miss Humphreys struggled to cope with her young children and was afraid to leave her home. On 15 July 2020, she took an overdose after writing in her diary about her depression. She called 999 herself to prevent her children from finding her, but paramedics were unable to revive her.
Her father, Mr Humphreys, told the hearing that the father of her children was 'extremely abusive' and manipulative, involved in drugs, and had kept her away from her family. He said she developed mental health problems due to the toxic relationship and used drugs and alcohol to cope. She had previously self-harmed in Scotland.
Miss Humphreys ended the relationship in early 2020 and moved to Salford, but her ex-partner allegedly turned up at a birthday party for one of the children in April. On Father's Day, she took an overdose and was taken to hospital. The following day, she appeared fine, but later took another overdose and died.
Her diary entries revealed her despair, including one that read: 'Feeling like sh*t, completely exhausted... I am unable to look after myself... I have thoughts of putting a fork through my neck.' Maurice Noble, chair of Salford Community Safety Partnership, said a domestic violence review is taking place, noting issues dating back to her early childhood.
