Academic killed herself after being dumped by boyfriend who had booked them skiing holiday
Commended special constable 'had a history of depressive episodes and found it difficult to cope with break-ups'
A BRILLIANT scholar and special constable with "everything to live for" killed herself after her boyfriend ended their relationship.
Text messages sent by 32-year-old Dr Sara Gilks said “he has absolutely destroyed me” and “he was so loving towards me and then he does this”.
Sara was a first class honours graduate with a distinguished academic career as well as one of West Yorkshire Police’s most respected special constables - having won several commendations for her work.
But, devastated by a split with her partner, she began to research suicide methods on the internet, an inquest into her death heard on Friday.
Sara’s friend Diane Hirst said: “I received a message from her saying her boyfriend had split up with her and she was proper gutted. She was very upset.
“It was clear that she was so shocked by what had happened. He had booked a skiing holiday for them. The next morning, she said she couldn’t stop crying.”
related strories
Diane found Sara’s body when she went to her home on March 26, concerned because she had been unable to contact her.
She told Bradford Coroner's Court: “I went into her bedroom. She was wearing her pyjamas. I grabbed her arm, it was cold. There were packets of tablets on the bed.
“I was so shocked and upset I couldn’t speak. I never thought she would do such a thing.”
Sara, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Manchester, had a history of depression and her self-confidence evaporated in the aftermath of relationship breakdowns.
A statement from Det Con Simon Thomas said a review of her phone history revealed she had researched ways of taking her life.
Toxicology tests revealed she had taken a fatal overdose of a prescribed medicine. She had also written a suicide note.
Coroner Martin Fleming concluded that she had taken her own life – adding it was clear that the latest break-up had “severely impacted on her.”
He added: “On the same day she appears to have trawled the internet to find ways of ending her life.
“No-one could have known at that stage that she had very dark thoughts. There was no immediate cause to be worried about her.”
Expressing his sympathy to the family, he added: “She had her whole life ahead of her.”
Her former boss at West Yorkshire Police Supt Paul Jeffrey said: “Sara was very highly thought of and won several commendations for her work as a special constable.
“The fact that she was a special constable speaks volumes for her character and her dedication to helping others.
“Colleagues were very distressed to hear of her death and she will be greatly missed.”