Devastated mum whose teen son killed himself over rape claims hanged herself as she faced losing family home they once shared

A HEARTBROKEN mum, whose teenage son took his own life over rape allegations against him, hanged herself as she faced moving out of the family home they had shared, an inquest heard today.

Karin Cheshire, 55, was so devastated by the loss of Jay Cheshire, 17, that she slept in his room, which she had not changed since his suicide in July last year.

The allegations made against Jay had later been withdrawn.

In the 12 months since his death, Ms Cheshire had a breakdown and was diagnosed with a bipolar disorder, having been “profoundly affected” by her loss.

She deteriorated so much that she was detained under the Mental Health Act.

A coroner heard that she continued to act strangely following her release and chalked up huge financial debt.

Her inquest held today in Winchester, Hampshire, heard that it was Jay's tragic death that sparked the decline in her mental health.

Karin, a mum-of-two, was desperate to investigate the allegations against her son because she believed police had mishandled the situation.

He was found hanging in a park on July 5 2015, and a coroner ruled that a factor in his decision to take his own life was that he struggled to cope with the allegation made against him.

An inquest into his death heard that he was “absolutely distraught” at the accusations, which were withdrawn after he was voluntarily interviewed by police.

Karin spoke out after his death, revealing that she had made the heart-wrenching decision to switch off his life support.

Speaking last October, she said: "The rape allegation was the main reason he killed himself.

"She accused him of rape and said he was a sexual offender. He was absolutely distraught. Two weeks later she said she withdrew the allegations."

Her daughter and Jay’s sister Camellia Cheshire, 22, today said outside court: "Because of what the girl alleged, I have lost my brother and now my mother.

"It's created a domino effect, and a huge wake of destruction because of the allegation that was eventually dropped. She's destroyed our whole family's life."

The family have previously asked to speak to Jay's accuser.

The inquest heard that Karin wrote letters to her whole family explaining her decision to take her own life.

She was found hanging by neighbour and close friend Theresa Beddoe on July 18 this year.

Six hours earlier, Karin had left her pet Shih Tzu Ellie with Mrs Beddoe, and told her three times "I won't be long Theresa".

Theresa, who had a “sisterly” bond with Karin because both their children had taken their own lives, said: "I had a feeling I wasn't going to find something nice.

"I walked up the driveway, placed the key in the lock and opened the door.

"On the mat there was a pile of letters and her dog's harness, and to the side I saw her handbag.

"I then knew something was wrong as she never went anywhere without her handbag.

"I started to walk up the stairs, and I only made two or three steps when I saw her legs dangling."

She then described how her own legs buckled, and she sought help from a neighbour.

Karin had moved back into her home shortly before Christmas 2015 after receiving treatment from the mental health team at Southern Health.

But, the inquest heard that her family still had concerns she wasn't well.

Dr Adam Cox, from Southern Health, today apologised to Camellia and Karin's mother Ann, who attended the inquest at Winchester Coroner's Court.

He explained that she was given anti-depressants and anti-psychotic medicine following her breakdown.

She was then in and out of care - at one point not seeing a psychiatrist for two months.

This was accepted as a failure in her care, but the inquest heard that the situation was complicated because of  a fall out with her care coordinator.

She was last seen by a psychologist just a few days before her death but  the risk of a “traumatic event” like the anniversary of Jay's death had not been looked into, the coroner heard.

Karin’s family, including Camellia and Anne today raised concerns about Karin's mental health care saying she should not have been discharged.

Coroner Grahame Short recorded a conclusion of suicide, adding: "Karin Cheshire was living alone.

"The fact is she suffered from bipolar disorder but also had some psychotic episodes.

"Some of them were so severe she had to be detained in hospital, and that's what happened last year after the death of her son Jay in July.

"There's no doubt whatsoever in my mind that Karin was profoundly affected by the sudden loss of Jay, and the consequences of his death.

"One of those consequences was her mental health condition, which deteriorated drastically.

"And I think because of that she started doing strange things, like overspending with money she didn't have.

"By the time of her own death, she was facing the consequence of having to move away from her family home.

"I believe this was a major factor in the timing of her decision, and the reality of packing up was utmost in her mind.

"She was losing the sense of what she had with the house, places like Jay's bedroom, and they were clearly very special to her."

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