Wife of Royal Marine fell to her death from cliffs

THE wife of a Royal Marine committed suicide after failing to conquer an addiction that left her drinking up to three bottles of wine a day, an inquest heard.

Rachel Hawkins, 35, the wife of Sergeant Wayne Hawkins, died from multiple injuries after jumping from cliffs in Lympstone, Devon, on to a beach 40ft below.

An inquest heard that Mrs Hawkins, a mother-of-two from Lympstone, developed an alcohol addiction following her father’s death in 2012.

Devon County Hall heard that she drank between two and three bottles of wine a day from November 2012 until her death on July 29, last year.

Andrew Cox, assistant coro- ner for Exeter and Greater Devon, recorded a conclusion of suicide at an inquest into Mrs Hawkins’ death.

The hearing was told she attended numerous detox courses around the country but had never been able to conquer her addiction.

“There had been a developing problem with alcohol which had manifested itself after some difficulties in her earlier life and the tragic loss of her father at short notice,” Mr Cox said.

“Sergeant Hawkins has alluded to the fact that the detox facilities for women are few and far between and not ideal.

“Unfortunately Mrs Hawkins was unable to find the treatment that she needed.”