Wedding planner ditched by married lover killed herself
A HEARTBROKEN wedding planner killed herself after her married lover ended their relationship, a court has ruled.
Emily Henthorn had hoped to settle down with Andrew Hardman, 56, and the pair even started viewing properties during their five-month affair.
But the 25-year-old was devastated when he decided to confess to his affair and stay with his wife, telling him: ‘If I can’t live with you, I can’t live without you.’ She even asked if she and his wife could ‘share him’.
Just days later, Miss Henthorn, who was said to have dreamt of having a house, husband and stable career by the time she reached 25, was found dead in bed by her father. Inquiries revealed she had left several suicide notes for her family.
An inquest heard that Miss Henthorn, of Leigh, near Manchester, was an ‘outgoing, attractive, vivacious personality’. She had studied maths at Manchester University but dropped out and worked in the compliance department for Bolton Council and had a part-time job as an events co-ordinator at Leigh Masonic Hall.
She met Mr Hardman – a freemason and station manager at Bolton central fire station – last October and it is thought the pair began an affair in January.
During the relationship they began house-hunting together and saw several properties.
Mr Hardman told the inquest: ‘We were nothing more than acquaintances or friends but... friendship turned into a relationship and that relationship carried on for about five months.
‘There had been an intention to live together and on April 27 I told my wife about the relationship. But we decided to resurrect our relationship and I ended the relationship with Emily.’
He added: ‘When I spoke to her on May 2, she said, “without you my life is not worth living”.’ Mr Hardman said that he also rang Miss Henthorn’s father to tell him that he was worried about her and even asked police to check on her at home.
He then received a message from Miss Henthorn asking whether his wife would ‘share’ him with her. He added: ‘I did respond. I can’t remember what I said but it was a ridiculous question to ask.
‘I said I would ring her back I did ring her back but she didn’t answer...
‘The next contact I had [was] when her dad phoned me up to say she had died.’
Miss Henthorn’s father Darren told the Bolton inquest: ‘She was determined, single minded, strong willed and at times controlling but she was very independent.
‘Emily was a very complicated person. I don’t know myself whether threats she made were for show, sympathy or to get attention or whether she did mean them.’
He added: ‘She always said she had a plan where she wanted to be by the time she was 25 and she was 25 at the time she died ... She wanted better things for herself.’
Recording a conclusion of suicide, coroner Alan Walsh said Miss Henthorn had ‘splitpersonality issues’ and the breakdown of her relationship with Mr Hardman combined with possible ‘unfulfilled objectives’ had driven her to take her own life.
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