Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Tragic suicide of grieving mum-of-four
‘It will take an awful long time to accept this tragedy and trauma...’
A mum-of-four struggling to cope in the wake of her sister’s suicide took her own life days before the first anniversary of the tragedy, an inquest has heard.
Natasha Alleyne, 28, was impacted profoundly by the devastating loss of younger sister Shannon in November 2020. Her mental health deteriorated as she grieved for the 22-year-old, who took her own life at her home in Quern’s Road, Canterbury.
And Natasha’s struggles, too, would end in tragedy, when she was found dead on October 30 last year - eight days before the anniversary of Shannon’s death. An inquest in Maidstone heard this week how Natasha - like Shannon - struggled with her mental health and experienced “social anxieties”.
The hearing was told that on October 29, she and a group of friends - including her partner Fred and sister Jessica - went to Limes bar in Rosemary Lane. In a police statement read at the inquest, Jessica said: “During the night out, Natasha asked the DJ to play Shannon’s funeral music. At 2am, Natasha went
out and started crying, saying ‘I can’t do this anymore’.” Natasha left the bar and was found near Canterbury Crown Court by Jessica and Fred. They walked her back to her house in Warwick Road, where Jessica had agreed to stay with her.
Natasha’s baby girl was staying with her partner’s mother for the night, but she had been told the seven-month-old had not been settling.
Natasha asked Jessica and Fred if they could collect her daughter and bring her home. Despite originally refusing because of the amount of alcohol Natasha had drunk, they agreed to pick up the baby, leaving Natasha alone at home. They returned 20 minutes later to discover Natasha had taken her own life in the kitchen. Paramedics were called, but despite desperate efforts to revive her she was pronounced
dead at the scene. Although Natasha was under the influence of alcohol, coroner Joanne Andrews believed she intended to take her own life. Her death was ruled a suicide. Natasha’s mother Wendy, father Tony, sister Jessica and brother Reece joined the inquest via a virtual link. Natasha’s first child, a daughter named Indie Rose, was stillborn in 2010.
She left behind three other
children - a daughter then aged seven months, and two sons aged three and seven. Speaking after the hearing, the family said: “Natasha’s death has had a huge impact on our lives. We feel a bit of closure since the inquest. Although we already knew what the outcome would be, we feel we can grieve as a family and remember Natasha for the amazing person, daughter, mother, sister, auntie and friend she was. “We will never understand why this had to happen, and it will take an awful long time to accept this tragedy and trauma. “But we hope she is free of any battles she had with her mind daily and is now resting in peace with Shannon and her daughter Indie-rose.” Natasha’s family described her as a “beautiful soul” and a “joy to be around”.
They said they feel more must be done to raise awareness of mental ill health.
“It’s a serious thing but gets shoved to the back of the line,” they said.
“It affects adults as well as children, and there most definitely isn’t enough help out there. “Natasha visited the doctor numerous times and, although they picked up her mood was low at times, nothing was really done about it.”
For confidential support on an emotional issue, call Samaritans on 116 123 at any time.