Coroner’s suicide ruling over death of 21-year-old woman quashed at High Court
A coroner’s verdict that a 21-year-old woman died by suicide after taking unlicensed slimming aid pills has been quashed at the High Court.
Bethany Shipsey (pictured) died from the toxic effects of Dinitrophenol (DNP) on February 15 2017 after going into cardiac arrest in hospital.
The senior coroner for Worcestershire later found it to be suicide and that there were “significant failings” in her care from Worcestershire Royal Hospital, but did not find this to be the cause of her death.
Miss Shipsey’s parents have always maintained that their daughter, who was described as an animal lover and animal rescuer, never intended to take her own life.
They brought legal action to the High Court seeking to remove part of the coroner’s conclusions that she had died intentionally.
Lady Justice Macur, sitting with Mrs Justice Hill, agreed, based on new evidence showing Miss Shipsey’s social media use in the hours before her death.
Mrs Justice Hill said in a written judgment handed down on Friday: “It is possible that, in light of all that evidence, a fresh investigation would conclude that it is more likely than not that Beth did not, in fact, intend to take her own life.”
The judges said Miss Shipsey had a “long history” of mental health difficulties, including an eating disorder and self-harm.
She had previously taken 14 overdoses and was admitted to hospital on several occasions.
On January 7 2017, she entered hospital after reporting “suicidal ideation” and went home a month later, on February 15.
That same afternoon, she took “a quantity” of DNP pills at home and messaged friends on social media about what she had done.
After 5pm, Miss Shipsey was taken by ambulance into the emergency department of Worcestershire Royal, where she went into cardiac arrest a few hours later and was pronounced dead at 10pm.
New evidence submitted after the coroner’s verdict included messages Miss Shipsey had sent to her boyfriend on the day of her death saying she had done something “really stupid”.
She also told her brother she had taken “herbal diet pills” and said “I’ll see you later” as she was leaving for hospital.
Her mother Carole Shipsey provided further social media messages from that day suggesting her daughter was in a light mood and was planning activities with her animals.
Mrs Justice Hill said: “The ‘new facts’ and ‘new evidence’ now relied on, when read cumulatively, provides a much fuller evidential platform for consideration of the intention issue.
In quashing the finding of suicide she said: “Such a course is appropriate and necessary because the combined effect of the new evidence is that these determinations are no longer evidentially sound.”
After their daughter’s death, Carole and Doug Shipsey called for tougher laws on unlicensed pills such as DNP, warning of the dangers.
Mrs Justice Hill said: “It is the court’s hope that this judgment affords the claimants and those concerned in the NHS trusts at least some closure.”
Yogi Amin, a human rights lawyer at Irwin Mitchell who represented Doug and Carole Shipsey, said: “Bethany’s parents have fought a long and brave battle to overturn the original conclusion that Bethany died by suicide.
“The High Court heard new evidence that Bethany didn’t understand what pills, that resulted in her death, she was taking.
“In light of the new evidence which emerged since the inquest, the record of inquest will now be amended to remove the references to any suicidal intent.
“Bethany’s parents are extremely pleased with the court’s decision. We believe the case sets an important precedent for all families seeking justice in relation to inquest conclusions that do not reflect the full reality of their loved one’s deaths.”
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