Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Woman, 25, killed herself on Tenerife holiday with lover
Pharmacist battled depression
A PHARMACIST who battled with depression killed herself while on holiday with her boyfriend, an inquest has heard.
Vicky Smith, 25, was found hanged from a jetty in Tenerife.
Months before, she had told of having the “world on her shoulders” after selling her horse to buy a house with her partner, cycle shop manager Matt Arkwright.
Recording a verdict of suicide, coroner James Newman said: “Mental illness is one of the greatest demons of our time. It is such a waste of a very young and promising life.”
The Preston hearing also heard Vicky had been unhappy at work, yet was due to take up a new job, and had become excited about decorating her new home.
Mr Arkwright, 31, said: “We bought the house together and she was very excited about it.
“Shortly before we went away, we’d been out with friends. Normally she was loud and engaging, but she was quiet and withdrawn.
“We had a private chat and she felt as though she had the world on her shoulders.”
BUBBLY
The last time he saw Vicky alive on the Spanish island she was reading by their hotel pool and said she would meet him at dinner.
The hearing was told Vicky, of Leyland, Lancs, was “bright and bubbly” but had “ups and downs”.
She had previously moved to Wales to work on a farm, then back to Preston for a pharmacy job. But she found dealing with customers difficult and accepted a job at Royal Preston Hospital.
Her parents Alan, 62, and Linda Smith, 59, said in a statement: “There were a couple of things that she felt weren’t going right.
“The relationship with Matt was blossoming and they were moving in together and enjoying themselves. Vicky had talked about coming off anti-depressants... she said she’d been forgetting to take them a lot of the time.
“She was told by the GP to take some time off, to get her medication stable again, and then they were on holiday.”