Burgess Hill woman’s death was caused by overdose

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A woman with a history of depression took her own life in Burgess Hill, an inquest heard.

The inquest, held on Friday, heard that Jane Harman, 46, was found dead in the churchyard at the Church of St Edward the Confessor, close to her home in West Street, on June 11 last year.

Post mortem tests confirmed that she had taken an overdose of prescription anti-depressants.

Miss Harman’s partner Julie Chivers said she was a fun loving and caring person, but had suffered from depression for years.

Miss Chivers told the inquest that her partner had struggled in the past, but hadn’t recently done anything that gave her cause for concern.

Mel Baird, a psychiatric nurse who had supported Jane, said she had sometimes talked about killing herself, but only as a vague idea. A person who is at risk of taking their own life, she said, tends to have a plan worked out.

Assistant coroner Christopher Wilkinson said: “Jane clearly came from a happy and stable family. She had a happy childhood, she had close family, she enjoyed a good relationship with her sisters and friends.”

He said the death of her father in 1993 had affected her profoundly.

“We’ve heard that for a number of years, Jane suffered from depression, low mood and anxiety.

“Even with those that she confided in, she found it difficult to express some of the deeper, more troubling thoughts that she experienced.”

He added: “She couldn’t believe that she was worthwhile - that’s something that she struggled with and struggled to cope with.