Depressed woman plunged to her death

A FORMER children's home worker plunged to her death off a multi-storey car park after a failed engagement sent her into a spiral of depression, an inquest heard.

Carol Jackson, 58, of Wharfedale Place, Harrogate, jumped off the sixth floor of the Tower Street car park in the middle of the town after suffering from acute anxiety and depression.

Jenny Dent, her friend of 34 years and former colleague at the National Children's Home in Harrogate, told the inquest at Harrogate Magistrates' Court yesterday, that Miss Jackson had long been afflicted with the debilitating condition but it had worsened since a failed engagement in 2007.

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She said: "I was aware there was an underlying problem with Carol but over the last two to three years she was totally unrecognisable as my friend, she changed to somebody completely different.

"She was just desperately lonely and couldn't cope with it anymore."

Miss Jackson fell to her death at around 10.30am on Sunday November 8 last year.

The inquest was told she ordered a taxi from her home at 9.50am and asked to be dropped off on Tower Street.

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She was seen by CCTV climbing over a barrier at the car park before jumping.

Police went to the scene and she was taken to Harrogate District

Hospital where she died of her injuries on November 15.

In a statement by Harrogate police officer Mark Waddington, read out to the court, he said members of public who saw the incident had rushed to Miss Jackson's aid.

The inquest was told Miss Jackson had attempted suicide on a number of previous occasions.

Robert Turnbull, coroner for the western district of North Yorkshire, said Miss Jackson died of severe brain damage and recorded a verdict of suicide.

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