A single mum who struggled with her mental health took her own life while she was scared of an ‘abusive’ ex turning up at her house, an inquest heard. 

Olivia Humphreys, 26, killed herself on July 15 last year after years of suffering with depression, anxiety and a ‘complex background’ dating back to her childhood. She was also terrified of the father of her children, Ms Humphreys’ dad said. 

Paul Humphreys said: ‘She ended up having mental health problems because of the toxic relationship she had with the father of her children. 

‘(The ex-boyfriend) was involved in drugs and was behaving in a way that was manipulative by keeping her away from me. He was manipulative for his own agenda.

‘I believe he got into her mind so much that she could not cope without him. She pushed herself away from me when I tried to offer to help.’

The mum-of-four moved to a town in North Ayrshire, south of Glasgow in Scotland, with her parents when she was still a child in 2001.

She met her ex there and had her first child at 16 years old, before going on to have three more.

The unnamed father of her children was allegedly ‘extremely abusive’ and she ended the relationship for good early last year.

She then fled to Salford, in Greater Manchester – where her parents had relocated to previously.

The young mum, who sometimes turned to drugs and alcohol, was often worried her ex would show up at her new home and at times was too afraid to step outside her front door, Bolton Coroners Court heard.

The inquest was told she also struggled to cope with looking after her young children ‘the way she wanted to’.

It is believed her ex-boyfriend showed up in April for one of the children’s birthday parties.

On Father’s Day last year, on June 21, she texted her parents to say she had taken some pills. They rushed over, took their daughter to hospital and took their grandchildren home. 

Just under two weeks after she was discharged, on July 3, a mental health worker visited Ms Humphreys, on July 14, and noticed she was ‘increasingly overwhelmed’. 

Amy Lawrence said: ‘(Ms Humphreys) had daily thoughts about ending her life but no plans to do this. Her home was in disarray but she was engaging well. 

‘She appeared to be flat and in a low mood and was struggling to cope with her children. She was fearful of going outside. There were flies and bin bags in the kitchen, it was a catalogue of serious stress.’ 

Ms Humphreys had been feeling guilty after her four-year-old ran out into the road and had a near-miss with a car on July 12.

She was ‘trying to blame herself’, Mr Humphreys said.

After the worrying visit on July 14, social services called Ms Humphreys’ dad to tell them ‘things weren’t looking good’.

Mr Humphreys’ wife stayed with her that night, thought ‘she seemed fine’, and took the older children to school on July 15. 

The grandfather said: ‘At 12.45pm my wife rang her and said: “Are you sure you are okay?”. 

‘Olivia said she felt great – she had showered and put makeup on, she took her two younger children to nursery at lunch time. 

‘There was no concern she was concerned or upset at the time.’ 

But by 1.30pm, Ms Humphreys had started to overdose. She called 999 so her children would not find her but paramedics were not able to revive her. 

She left a three-page letter, telling her kids she would ‘be with (them) everywhere they go’.

Officers also found a message on a notepad reading: ‘I warned the social services this would happen.’

Mr Humphreys said: ‘She had no financial worries and would borrow money if she needed to buy things. She had something on her mind and no one was going to stop what she was doing.’ 

The inquest also heard several of Ms Humphreys’ harrowing diary entries about ‘demon depression’. 

Coroner Timothy Brennand recorded a conclusion of suicide last Thursday, on June 24.

He said: ‘Olivia had much to live for and wanted to be the best mother she could be.

‘There is an awful lot of background to this which caused her anguish and depression and her father thought she had come to the end of the road.’

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