Former pole dancer jailed for encouraging postman to commit suicide

A former pole-dancer has been jailed for four years after forming a suicide pact with a postman then leaving him to die alone.

Ex-model Natasha Gordon, 44, made the pact with 31-year-old Matthew Birkinshaw but backed out, getting out of his car on December 17, 2015, before he killed himself.

Royal Mail employee Mr Birkinshaw, of Walsall, West Midlands, was pronounced dead at 7.24pm just after he was found in his Fiat Punto at Rutland Water in Oakham, Rutland.

Gordon, of Paston Ridings, Peterborough, denied a single charge of encouraging Mr Birkinshaw to take his own life but was convicted by a jury at Leicester Crown Court in December.

During her trial, she was described as an “enthusiastic advocate” of suicide who had tried to arrange other pacts within hours of Mr Birkinshaw’s death.

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Jailing Gordon for four years, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said: “This was a serious case because Matthew Birkinshaw actually took his own life after your encouragement.

“I have found you misled him into believing you were genuine and firmly intent on committing suicide with him, although you were not fully committed.”