Tributes to ‘beautiful and brilliant’ bar worker
TRAGEDY OF TEENAGE BAR WORKER WHO WROTE SERIES OF ‘GOODBYE’ LETTERS
A TEENAGER who posted an apparent suicide note on Instagram was found hanged in a hotel room following a night out – days after writing ‘goodbye letters’ on her phone, an inquest heard.
Ria Michelle Cooper, who was born in Salford and grew up in Leigh, had been out with friends in Manchester city centre on the evening of March 5.
The 18-year-old, who worked as a bartender at G-A-Y on Canal Street, was admitted to hospital less than two weeks prior to her death following a paracetamol overdose, Bolton Coroners’ Court heard.
Ria’s friends said she had given away some of her clothes and had referenced wanting to be dead, but didn’t think she was being serious. Her death was ruled as suicide by a coroner.
The court heard Ria had most recently been living with work friend Hannah Jordan.
Ms Jordan described Ria as her ‘best friend,’ but said the pair became ‘romantic’ in the days leading up to the tragedy. In a statement read in court, Ms Jordan said the pair planned a night out together and booked into the Ainscow Hotel on Trinity Way.
Ria and Ms Jordan went to several clubs in the Gay Village, including G-AY, The Brewers and Cruz 101.
The court heard Ms Jordan spoke with her friend Lola Smith.
Ms Smith told Ms Jordan she needed ‘time away’ from Ria and that ‘it was happening too quickly.’ Ms Jordan then told Ria she would not be staying at the hotel with her. Ms Jordan asked another friend, Charlie Clarke, to look after Ria, before she went home with Ms Smith.
Mutual friend Shellby Wolstencroft had a ‘heart-to-heart’ with Ria. Mr Clarke, who had not been drinking, drove Ria and Ms Wolstencroft
to the Ainscow Hotel, dropping them off at 5.30am.
In a statement, Ms Wolstencroft said she chatted to Ria for a couple of hours. Ria FaceTimed and spoke on the phone to other friends. At 7.20am, Ms Wolstencroft left the hotel. Ria had told her she was going to see her friend Jake Moon. Ms Wolstencroft said she asked Ria if she was going to be okay. Ria did not say anything concerning, the court heard. Mr Moon said in a statement Ria didn’t visit him. A number of Ria’s friends said they became concerned after she posted an apparent suicide note on Instagram. At around 8.45am, the hotel’s general manager Paul Wadsworth knocked on the door of room 316. He entered and found Ria hanged. She was pronounced dead at 9am.
A toxicology report found there was no trace of alcohol in Ria’s blood. The concentration of cocaine was consistent with recreational use, the court heard.
Less than two weeks before her death, on February 25, Ria was admitted to the Manchester Royal Infirmary after taking an overdose of paracetamol. After discharging herself, she wrote a number of ‘goodbye letters’ on her phone and made several concerning internet searches, police coroner’s officer Rebecca Gardner said.
Acting senior coroner for Manchester West, Alan Walsh, recorded the cause of death as asphyxia due to strangulation by ligature. He recorded a conclusion of suicide.
Mr Walsh said: “She was obviously very intelligent, very capable, competent and she had immense potential in regards to her future. It’s a great tragedy and sadness that she should die without that potential ever being realised.”
Ria’s parents spoke about their heartbreak following the hearing.
Mum Maria Flynn said of the former St Mary’s Catholic High School pupil: “She was the most loved, wanted child in the world. She was so intelligent and so funny.
“Me and her dad always said she was too intelligent and funny not to be famous. She was a little drama queen but she was the most loving daughter, granddaughter, sister, cousin and niece.
“She was just proper amazing, so beautiful and brilliant. Every day that goes by hurts more and more.”
Dad Gary Cooper added: “I miss her every day. She’s the most precious person in the world to me. Everyone’s absolutely heartbroken.”
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She was just proper amazing, beautiful and brilliant
Ria Cooper’s mum Maria Flynn