Grieving mum who ‘experienced visions’ after her son’s death dies in same place 

A grieving mum who ‘experienced visions’ after her son’s death also died in the same place just weeks later.

A devastated family has suffered two losses after a mother who lost her teenage son, after he took his own life, was found dead in the same place he was just two weeks later.

Ethan Hardman’s body was found in a wooded area of Walton-le-Dale, Lancashire, on October 14th last year.

The talented footballer took his own life a few months after celebrating his 16th birthday. His mother, Camille Hardman, told family she ‘no longer felt able to survive without’ him.

Days after Ethan’s death, Camille was admitted to a mental health unit after her family raised the alarm about her expressing suicidal thoughts.

As reported by Lancs Live, an inquest heard she was discharged in order to allow her to attend his funeral, on November 9th. But as the weeks went on, she continued to voice her intention to end her life.

Despite ongoing support from her partner Richard Benson, as well as her siblings and input from the community mental health team, Camille ‘no longer felt able to survive without Ethan’ and began to experience visions of his body being found. 

On December 8th, just six weeks after Ethan’s death, Camille walked to the spot where he had died and took her own life, aged 45.

An inquest held on Monday, May 22nd, at Preston Coroner’s Court, extracts from a statement by Camille’s partner Richard described how her mental health had been ‘extremely fragile’ after Ethan’s death. 

He persuaded Camille to stay at his home in Leeds after the funeral but police were called when she left his house and booked herself into a hotel for three days.

Officers from West Yorkshire Police visited Camille at the hotel but only spoke to her through the door. Camille’s family said that had they gone inside the room they would have seen items purchased in order to end her life. 

Area Coroner Kate Bisset described the force’s actions as ‘appalling’ and also criticised them for failing to inform Richard of Camille’s death when asked to do so by Lancashire Constabulary.

On the morning of December 8th, after Camille moved back to her home in Walton-le-Dale, Tony Gardener was walking his dog before heading to work when he came across her sitting on the footpath in a wooded area.

In a statement he later told police: “I said ‘good morning, it’s a bit cold to be sitting on the path’ and she seemed a bit wistful.

“I felt it was a bit suspicious and then she said ‘just over there my son killed himself six weeks ago’. I realised who she was. Ethan was a similar age to my son who knew him.”

Mr Gardener said he helped Camille back to her feet and was reassured that she was going home.

Later that afternoon he came across a Facebook post made by her which seemed a little more ‘upbeat’. Mr Gardener messaged Camille inviting her to go for a walk but she did not reply. A few days later, he discovered she was dead.

Mr Gardner said he was ‘shocked and horrified’ and that he would ‘always wonder if there was anything different’ he could have done. 

Area Coroner Kate Bisset addressed his concerns and said his concern was a ‘reflection of his kindness’, adding: “He is not responsible and did everything he could including reaching out to her.”

Detective Inspector Mark Riley, the senior investigating officer, said that when police searched Camille’s home they found several pictures of Ethan on the sofa. 

She had left her home via a side gate which her family said was so ‘concerned neighbours wouldn’t have been alerted to her leaving’ and so she wasn’t captured on her Ring doorbell camera.

Camille’s family praised the community mental health team who they said did ‘everything they could’ but added that as an intelligent woman she was capable of convincing people she was ok when she wasn’t. 

When she was struggling with her grief she would say that she had ‘lost her purpose’ and was ‘constantly thinking about what had happened’ to Ethan.

General Practitioner Dr Manoon Nair said Camille was last seen at a face-to-face appointment on December 5th. Medical notes indicated she stated she had no suicidal thoughts and was ‘hoping to get better’.

The inquest heard that on December 8th Camille’s sister Dana called police after discovering Camille wasn’t at home and had left her phone. The family also later found a note in which she had described what she wanted to happen after her death.

In his statement her partner Richard said: “It is clear in the note she had thought carefully about what was going to happen. She was simply in too much pain and couldn’t imagine living without her son.”

Returning a conclusion of suicide the coroner said: “Camille, understandably, was destroyed by the loss of her much-loved son and her heart was broken beyond repair. She suffered from catastrophic grief.

“The loss of her only child is unthinkable. It was unsurvivable for Camille. She felt no longer able to survive. Her family has suffered enough tragedy for 100 lifetimes.

“Suicide tears lives apart and sends shockwaves through families and communities. The world is never a better place through the loss of any life through suicide.”

You don’t have to suffer in silence if you’re struggling with your mental health.

Here are some groups you can contact:

Samaritans: Phone 116 123, 24 hours a day, or email jo@samaritans.org, in confidence.

Childline: Phone 0800 1111. Calls are free and won’t show up on your bill.

PAPYRUS: Suicide prevention charity offering professional help and support to children, young people and anyone concerned for someone struggling with life. Call HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141, text 07860 039 967 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org.