A REGISTERED veterinary nurse who competed at Crufts took her own life, an inquest heard.

Described as an 'animal lover', Jane Elizabeth Hardcastle, from Ulverston, died at the age of 41 at Furness General Hospital in Barrow on July 8 this year.

Cockermouth Coroners Court heard Mrs Hardcastle intended to take the action she did after her husband Matthew found a number of messages around the house when he returned home.

He then found his wife unconscious in their bedroom and immediately rang 999 where she was rushed to the emergency department at around 4:50 pm.

Doctors at the hospital managed to stabilise her to a full level of consciousness but she then had a sudden seizure later that day and went into cardiac arrest and was unable to be resuscitated, the court heard.

In a statement read into the court record, her husband detailed how they had five dogs and how she was at one time a breeder of show rabbits and whippets, where she enjoyed some success most notably when competing in Crufts.

He explained how she had left work as a veterinary nurse in 2018 due to ‘ill health’ and that she had been taking antidepressants for the entirety of her adult life.

The court heard she also had diagnoses of ADHD, anxiety endometriosis and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

She had been referred to First Step South Cumbria to address her mental health but had chosen to discharge herself, the court also heard.

A toxicology report found she had ‘significant elevated levels' of an anxiety drug in her blood.

Recording the cause of death as suicide, coroner Dr Nicholas Shaw said she had 'a long history of psychological ill health' and had taken 'an excessive dose' of her prescribed drug.

“Notes left at her home clearly indicated an intention to take her own life. Despite treatment at the hospital she died a few hours after admission,” he said.

If you, or a young person you know, is not coping with life, has feelings of disappear or has been affected by this news Papyrus give confidential suicide prevention advice. Call 0800 068 4141 or text 07860 039967.

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