THE parents of a 22-year-old who accidentally overdosed "hope she's at peace now", after an assistant coroner said support networks attempting to help her had "broken down" under the strain of Covid-19.

An inquest into the death of Ella Gabriella Martin at Salisbury Coroner's Court on Friday, March 26, heard "mental health and abuse got on top of her".

She had turned to organisations for support but the impact of lockdowns and the pandemic on the system as whole may have delayed the process of getting help, according to Assistant Coroner Ian Singleton.

Ella, Winchester-born, had a history of mental health problems and had been self-harming from the age of about 13.

In the weeks before her death, she had become "very frightened" by an ex-boyfriend who lived in Bournemouth, who was described at the inquest as "physically and emotionally abusive".

She was found dead in her bedroom at her parents' house on Thistlebarrow Road, Salisbury, on Friday, May 1, 2020.

Her father found her hunched over on her bed, sitting cross-legged, with her laptop on her lap, but she was unresponsive.

He then ran down the stairs to find his wife, shouting "I think she's overdosed".

Paramedics arrived but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Support networks had 'broken down'

In the days before Ella's death, her parents had suspicions that she'd relapsed back into taking drugs, the inquest heard.

But they were also concerned that she wasn't getting the help she needed, and that she would end up returning to Bournemouth to stay with the "controlling and demanding" ex-boyfriend.

She was scared to such an extent that she was unable to end the relationship, and had been heard having "unpleasant" conversations with him over the phone .

Ella did seek help for her drug and mental health problems, and had been into rehab.

But Assistant Coroner Ian Singleton said support networks had "broken down as a result of the pandemic".

She had contacted a domestic abuse hotline.

Ella also did receive help from some organisations, the inquest heard, such as Turning Point, a health and social care organisation that works across mental health, learning disability, substance misuse, primary care, the criminal justice system and employment.

However, the assistant coroner's concerns about the pressures on the system as a whole highlight how for many families, the strain of the pandemic on health and support groups had effects on wider society.

'I hope she's at peace now'

Ella also had a history of drug problems, with three previous overdoses that led to hospitalisation.

She suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, an anxiety disorder, and a personality disorder.

Ella's mum Sue said: "Mental health and abuse got on top of her, but I hope she's at peace now."

Mr Singleton ruled the cause of death as 1A morphine, codeine, diazepam, pragabalin and dordiazepam toxicity.

These medications prescribed to her, combined with heroin use after a period of abstinence, caused Ella to overdose, with Mr Singleton saying he was "not satisfied it was intentional".

For more information and guidance about mental health and suicide visit samaritans.org. 

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