THE DEATH of 19-years old Chloe Rose Bygate of Haverfordwest on April 30 2014 was ruled a suicide by Coroner, Mark Layton, on February 26.

Jeremy Davies, the Coroner’s Officer, said that Chloe had been 19 years-old when she died and lived in a flat on Haverfordwest’s High Street. She was one of three children to Mrs. Leslie Griffiths and soldier, Trevor Bygate, who separated. Chloe went to Sir Thomas Picton School, and moved to Germany with her father after her GCSEs, returning soon after to do her A-Levels in Pembrokeshire. She worked at Holland & Barrett for less than six months, leaving of her own accord. Chloe was fit and well, but often went without food and had lost a lot of weight. Chloe had been prescribed anti-depressant tablets and had dizzy spells.

Mr Davies told the court that Chloe had last seen her mother on April 25, and she had not had any concerns. On April 30, Chloe’s mother received messages from friends of Chloe saying that they had not heard from her. When Leslie Griffiths went to her daughter’s flat, she could not get a response. She reported her concerns to the police. The police gained access, despite the fact that Chloe had blocked the front door with a fridge. Chloe was inside the living room, with a blanket up to her neck, dead. There was no evidence of drug use, but there was an empty tablet container and vomit in a plastic bag. There were no signs of forced entry or disturbance.

Jamie Pearson, whose friend lived in the flat above Chloe, had his statement read out by Mr Layton. He said that he had seen Chloe on the stairwell and commented on how she looked on April 30. Chloe had thanked him and he went into his friend’s flat. He did not know anything was wrong until a disturbance outside the flat when Chloe’s mother and the police gained entry into the flat, later.

The doctor who conducted the autopsy said that the level of Paracetamol in Chloe’s blood at the time of recording was 98mg per litre. This was potentially much higher as the level would have lowered between the time Chloe took the tablets and the sample had been taken. The level of Paracetamol in Chloe’s blood was significantly higher than that associated with therapeutic use. The doctor described it to be an acute level of Paracetamol overdose. There were also traces of Diazapan and an anti-depressant in Chloe’s blood, but the levels were within the prescribed level. Chloe had been only 39kg, and the doctor could not say for sure how many tablets she would have taken, but presumed it would have been about twenty. Chloe suffered from depression and the doctor said that there were recent marks of self-harm on her body. The cause of death, said the doctor, was drug intoxication by Paracatemol. Chloe’s liver and kidney, and possibly heart, would have failed. The circumstances show that it was purposeful. Mr Layton concluded that Chloe had killed herself and had intended to do so, and the matter was formally concluded.