Nicola Bulley latest — Inquest rules on cause of death as family reveal her future plans before tragic accident
MOTHER-OF-TWO Nicola Bulley drowned after entering cold river water in what a coroner has ruled an accidental death.
Nicola's disappearance after her mobile was found on a bench next to a river and today marked the second and final day of the inquest.
During proceedings, Nicola's emotional family gave evidence ahead of the coroner's decision.
Nicola's partner Paul Ansell told how Nicola was planning to take their daughter to a gymnastics competition the following day
While her sister, Louise Cunningham, sobbed as she recalled plans the pair had made to visit a spa together.
Read our Nicola Bulley blog below for the latest updates...
Why was Nicola's phone found on the bench?
Nicola's mobile was also discovered by the passer-by on a bench heading towards Wyreside Farm Caravan Park.
Chillingly, when her phone was discovered after her disappearance it was still "active".
Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith gave an insight into why Nicola’s phone was left on a bench - and not her pocket.
She explained it was normal for her to be holding her phone out in front of her while on Teams calls.
And she explained that the last person to see Nicola before she vanished said this is exactly what she was doing.
However it is still not known why exactly it was found alone on the bench.
Why did it take so long to find Nicola Bulley?
Nicola was last seen in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire, at around 9.15am on January 27.
On Sunday February 20, police searching for Nicola confirmed a body had been found.
It is not known why it took three weeks for Nicola to be located.
What was Nicola's cause of death?
Nicola’s cause of death has not yet been revealed.
However, we do know the mum-of-two had to be identified through her dental records.
Inquest will begin today
The inquest will set out to answer four key questions.
Who the deceased was, when and where they died, the medical cause of their death and how they came by their death.
Inquest hearings are based entirely around facts and do not deal with blame or responsibility.
Police search
Back in April police shot down claims they were searching for a specific object in the river where the mum was found.
Specialist divers were seen searching the River Wyre to try to confirm her cause of death.
There was speculation officers were searching for a specific item in the water but Lancashire Police quashed the rumour.
Who is Peter Faulding?
Peter Faulding is the founder of Specialist Group International (SGI), who searched the River Wyre for Nicola Bulley.
Faulding and his team decided to pull out of the search on February 8, 2023 as they believed they had done all they could to try and find her.
The diving expert offered his services to her devastated family for free, using £55,000 equipment to scan the lake.
His team searched the area near the park bench where her belongings were found and beyond.
Who is Jason Rothwell?
Jason Rothwell is a psychic medium from Oldham, Greater Manchester.
He claims to have helped police recover the remains from the River Wyre less than a mile away from where the missing mum was last seen.
Rothwell was pictured on February 19, 2023, pointing towards the reeds where he made the discovery.
He explained his reasons for being at the scene on TikTok.
The psychic said: “As has obviously become apparent, yes it is myself in the images in the media currently circulating relating to the case of Nicola Bulley and yes, yesterday morning it was myself and a friend who reported and assisted the police in the recovery of a body from the river Wyre.
“Such as it is it would be inappropriate of me to discuss in any further detail anything we may know about that body at this time, considering a formal identification of that body has yet to be confirmed.”
How long did the search for Nicola Bulley last?
Nicola Bulley was first reported missing on Friday, January 27.
Over the next three weeks, a national search would take place for the missing mother-of-two.
23 days later, a body was discovered just a mile from where Nicola vanished.
Peter Faulding speaks out
Peter Faulding has spoken out ahead of today's inquest and hopes "answers are provided".
He said: "Our thoughts are with Nicola’s family and close friends, and we hope that the upcoming inquest into the death of Nicola Bulley provides the answers they are seeking and deserve. SGI were called to assist in the search for Nicola Bulley by Lancashire Constabulary following a request for SGI by the family.
"SGI; headed up by Peter Faulding, are proven specialists with decades of relevant experience in underwater search. SGI operates an array of technologically advanced and cutting-edge equipment; our work is always carried out to the highest professional standards with honour and integrity and always in the best interest of the families involved putting their concerns first."
When was Nicola last seen before her passing?
Nicola was last seen on January 27 after dropping her two girls off at school.
The mortgage advisor took her dog Willow for a walk along the river – which had been extensively searched.
Throughout the search, police maintained their main theory had always been that Nicola had gone into the water.
It was confirmed Nicola’s body was found in the reeds a mile from where she vanished.
Where was Nicola Bulley’s body found?
A map shows the location where police found Nicola Bulley’s body.
The remains were spotted by dog walkers who frantically phoned police – sparking a massive response.
Cops confirmed the body belonged to Nicola Bulley.
Police to face NO action for releasing mum’s medical info
Nicola Bulley cops have been cleared by a watchdog after releasing the mum's medical information.
The force had come under fire for revealing painfully personal details of Nicola's struggle with alcohol and the menopause.
They confirmed she had "vulnerabilities" at the time she went missing and was a high-risk missing person.
But the Information Commissioner’s Office will not be taking any enforcement action against Lancashire Police over its disclosure of missing mother Nicola Bulley’s personal information, the force has said.
Inquest into death to begin today
An inquest into the death of Nicola Bulley will begin today following her disappearance in January earlier this year.
Nicola's disappearance after her mobile was found on a bench still connected to a work conference call.
Her body was found in the River Wyre on February 20 three weeks after she vanished.
What was Nicola Bulley’s cause of death?
Nicola Bulley died as a result of drowning and was alive when she fell into the water, a Home Office pathologist has said.
Dr Alison Armour, giving evidence at an inquest at County Hall in Preston, said watery fluid and fragments of dirt found inside Ms Bulley’s body were “typical features we see in cases of drowning”.
She added that Ms Bulley was alive when she entered the water and that there was “no evidence” she was harmed.
