A 26-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after a former carer died following an alleged assault on a bus in Hartlepool, Co Durham. Ally Evans, 60, collapsed and died after a confrontation with two women on a No 7 bus on Tuesday morning.
What happened on the bus
Ms Evans had boarded her usual number seven bus into town on Tuesday morning. She told her partner, Shaun Mathieson, 69, via text message that she had met two women and an argument had broken out. Police say an assault then occurred on the bus whilst passengers tried to intervene.
Ms Evans got off at the next available stop, crossed the road and sought help at the nearest premises. She went into a branch of Coral's bookmakers in Hartlepool, where staff gave her a drink of water. But her condition suddenly deteriorated, and an emergency call was made for an ambulance, but her life could not be saved.
Partner's account
Mr Mathieson was waiting to meet her in the public library when she collapsed and died an hour and 15 minutes after seeking help in the bookies. He said: "It's still a struggle to take in that Ally has gone, she was such a kind-hearted, bubbly, decent person. She lived for her family and her friends."
He added: "To lose her this way has been terrible for all of us, and we're waiting for more information on exactly what happened to her." Mr Mathieson said he had been with Ms Evans for 16 years, and they would see each other almost every day, often meeting at the library.
He said: "I arrived there on Tuesday and was the only person in the library because she hadn't arrived so I rang to see where she was but got no answer. She then texted to say she was on the bus and had an argument with two women. I tried ringing again and again, but I got no answer. The next thing a man I know came running into the library looking for me and told me that Ally was really ill in Coral's."
Investigation and arrest
Ms Evans had told the man to "go and get Shaun, tell him that I have been attacked." Mr Mathieson ran with him to Coral's and said he was Ally's partner, but police and ambulance service were already with her. He waited outside for four or five hours to see her. He later watched as crime scene tape was put up outside the bookmakers.
Cleveland Police said Ally died inside a premises on York Road, Hartlepool, at around 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday. A Home Office post-mortem examination has taken place, with additional specialist pathology examinations being undertaken to establish the cause of death. The 26-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of manslaughter has been released on conditional bail while enquiries continue. Information can be provided anonymously by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
