Medical businesswoman ‘had that desire to make a better place’

SADIE Hartley, christened Sadie Catherine Cook, was the third of seven children and brought up in a three-bedroomed council house in a housing estate in Newark, Nottinghamshire.

Her dad was a longdistance lorry driver, her mum was a full-time housewife and both passed away several years ago.

Her family said she he had a ‘happy childhood’ and was ‘close to her brothers and sisters’.

Sadie went on to study a degree in microbiology and microchemistry at Brighton Polytechnic, now the University of Brighton, and started working for Janssen – a Johnson and Johnson pharmaceutical company.

During her time with Janssen she worked in sales and marketing, in the medical team, ran clinical trials and was a ‘global lead on product development’.

Sadie, mother to Harry, 25, and Charlotte, 23, also worked on haematology products for people with leukaemia and lymphoma.

Business partner and friend Julie Taylor said Sadie was a ‘very driven lady within her work, had very little breaks and worked for the one company’.

She said: “She had a very big role. Most people working within the pharmaceutical industry have a passion for it. Sadie had a drive for it.

“She took very little time off for maternity leave, she couldn’t wait to get back to work. That was Sadie. She had that desire to make a better place.”

Sadie and Julie started their own company – Hartley Taylor Medical Communications – 16 years ago in Knutsford, Cheshire.

Her older brother Graham Cook, 63, said her successful career led her to become ‘quite wealthy’ and was ‘able to afford things she never dreamt of as a child’.

However, he said: “But Sadie never changed from that little sister I grew up with so many years ago.

“Sadie was nurtured in a close, loving, caring and supportive family. She went on to lead a full and successful life. She had two wonderful children who she loved to bits.”

Sadie, who had worked in the pharmaceutical industry for over 35 years, was looking forward to retiring before her murder and spending time with her family, horses and outdoor pursuits.

Her daughter Charlotte said Sadie really enjoyed horse riding and had a ‘massive passion for horses’.

She said: “She always ●● Sadie Hartley celebrating her 60th birthday in Venice with Ian Johnston last October went off on trips by herself to different countries doing long treks over a number of days. She also enjoyed skiing, anything outdoors, walking, being with friends, socialising and loved a good party as well. She’s rode through Marrakech, Kyrgyzstan, Chile and Argentina, which was a coast-to- coast about two weeks long. Just really nice exotic places.

“She went skiing once a year or sometimes two to three times a year and we’ve skied with her since we were children.

“She has progressed over the years and was great at skiing. As a family going together, it was brilliant.”