Woman, 22, died day after warning staff she'd kill herself

The final hearing of Abbie Louse Winn’s inquest has been held at Wells Town Hall since November 9.

Senior coroner for Somerset Samantha Marsh heard Abbie died in Woolavington at about 8.49pm on May 1, 2025.

A post-mortem report said Abbie died from acute toxicity caused by a prescription medication.

The court heard Abbie had a history of mental illness dating back to 2014, including self-harm and suicide attempts.

According to her aunt, Linda Vickery, Abbie struggled with her mental health after her mother’s death.

In a statement read to the court, Linda Vickery said: “Abbie lost her mother several years ago and has been suffering from her mental health since."

In a statement read to the court, Abbie’s friend Claudia Dias said they had known each other for two years after meeting at work.

She said: “[Abbie] lost two of her family members to cancer.

“I know Abbie was well-known by the mental health services.”

Ms Dias told the court Abbie’s mental health declined further after a relationship ended.

Abbie was an inpatient at Yeovil’s Rowan Ward Two from March 19, 2025, until she was discharged on April 30, a day before her death, the court heard.

Claudia described Abbie’s treatment on the ward as “poor” and said “conflicting information” caused her “confusion and upset.”

Rowan Ward Two manager Claire Cook said Abbie wanted to get better but continued to have suicidal thoughts.

Ms Cook told the court Abbie said “things took a turn when discharge conversations started”.

Ms Cook said: “She admitted something snapped inside her.”

On November 10, Swan advocate Annabelle Hackney gave evidence to the coroner.

The court heard Abbie had concerns being discharged, felt “overwhelmed” and was sometimes reluctant to engage with mental health staff.

Ms Hackney said the hospital asked Abbie to choose a discharge date, but April 30 was eventually chosen, and Abbie thought it was “earlier than planned”.

Ms Hackney raised a safeguarding concern and wrote to Abbie’s treatment team opposing her discharge on that date, the court heard.

She said that Abbie voiced confusion that the ward was “happy to see her go” and described “feeling very differently inside" than she appears outside.

The court heard Abbie “masked” her true feelings and convinced everyone she was fine when she was not.

Ms Hackney wrote: “I am aware that Abbie is not fine”.

She said she would have to raise safeguarding concerns if Abbie was discharged.

She said: “I was alarmed enough to raise a safeguarding [concern].”

In notes she wrote in hospital, Abbie described “feeling tired”, said she had years of trauma and described living in “pure fear.”

She said: “I appreciate I hit a brick wall, and any progress made with staff was limited.

“I have a significant number of things to work on, I am not expecting this to be a cure in any means, but I want more time to start to engage.

“I am worried after being discharged I will just end up back here again. I don’t want to set myself up to fail.”

She added: “I am not upset I am going home; I am upset I was making slow but steady progress.”

The court heard Abbie had an appointment with community psychiatric nurse Karen Matthews at Glanville House in Bridgwater at about 4pm on May 1, before her death.

Ms Matthews said the appointment was designed to help Abbie plan for the future and adjust to life outside hospital.

She said: “They are going from a time where they are being supported and helped with their emotions to coming back to their home lives.

“They often need some help and support, so it was about thinking about how we were going to do that with Abbie.”

She added the session was about “instilling hope”.

When Abbie left the appointment, she thanked Ms Matthews and said she would take her own life, the court heard.

Ms Matthews said she could not stop Abbie because they were not in hospital, so she encouraged Abbie to talk to her for longer before following her to the car at about 5.20pm.

Ms Matthews tried to get Abbie’s car registration number for police, then rang Ms Vickery and Ms Dias before calling police at 6.03pm.

Asked by a family representative why she did not call police immediately, Ms Matthews said Abbie had made the threat before.

She said: “If I had felt this was an imminent immediate risk then I would have called the police then and there, but I didn’t feel there was an imminent and immediate risk.

“That came from knowing Abbie, and she had said those things to me before in previous appointments.”

She said they decided to gather more information before calling police.

Ms Dias also called police at around 5.48pm after texting Abbie, who refused to reveal her location and said her goodbyes.

Avon and Somerset Police found Abbie in her car in Woolavington.

South Western Ambulance Service was called at 6.42pm, arrived at 7.01pm, and Abbie was declared dead at 8.49pm.

The inquest continues.

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