Pensioner plagued by illness plunged to her death from fourth floor

Sheila Booth, 84, was found lying on the tarmac in the early hours of the morning last November 14.

The alarm has been raised by a Lifeline device she was wearing. A response warden, Janet Jenkinson, was dispatched and found her body.

An inquest in Hull heard the widow has moved into the block of flats at Anchor Point, St Anne’s Road, Bridlington, after the death of her husband Claud.

The retired shop manageress and charity worker suffered from a lot of illnesses, including chronic anxiety, angina and chronic kidney disease.

Her niece Jennifer Watkins, a frequent visitor, said: “I think when the illnesses progressed she felt she couldn’t cope and that’s the thing that probably drove her to suicide.”

She said her aunt wanted to be independent, adding: “I know she discussed with people at the chapel about going into a home - I don’t think it was the life she wanted.”

Mrs Watkins and her husband had been at her aunt’s flat a month before her death, when her husband heard her aunt call out.

She found her aunt on the windowsill. They discussed what had happened and she promised she wouldn’t do it again.

The last time they saw her was on Remembrance Sunday when they watched the service on TV. Mr Booth had been in the Red Berets.

The inquest heard that last January Mrs Booth had told her GP she was planning to jump from the window of the flat and mental health services had become involved. Police found that her bed had been slept in and ornaments moved to one side of the window ledge, a foot off the floor.

Coroner Prof Paul Monks recorded a verdict that Mrs Booth had killed herself while the balance of her mind was disturbed.