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Heartbroken mum who hanged herself was a 'dead woman walking' after son died in house blaze

Tragedy: Lucas and mother Kelly-Anne Carter (Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)
Tragedy: Lucas and mother Kelly-Anne Carter (Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

A heartbroken mother whose son died in a house fire killed herself because she could not go on without him, an inquest has heard.

Kelly-Anne Carter, 35, was described in court by a friend as a ‘dead woman walking’ after her eight-year-old son Lucas died last October.

Lucas died shortly after being rescued from the house.

Kelly-Anne also suffered serious burns at the family home in Sandbach, Cheshire, the inquest at Crewe Municipal Buildings heard.

The house blaze was not treated as suspicious.

Heartbroken Kelly-Anne could not go on without her son, an inquest heard (Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)
Heartbroken Kelly-Anne could not go on without her son, an inquest heard (Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

But just two weeks later – on November 12 – Miss Carter hanged herself at her partner’s home.

A friend of the grieving mother, Sarah Blakey, who was with her the night before she died, said that she could not go on without her son.

‘She didn’t want to be here without Lucas, she couldn’t forgive herself,’ she said.

‘He was her world. To her he was her greatest achievement and he was lovely, he was an absolute credit.’

Lucas was an only child.

The heartbroken mum could not forgive herself after her son’s death (Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)
The heartbroken mum could not forgive herself after her son’s death (Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

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Coroner Claire Welch, who recorded a verdict of suicide, said the heartbreak was overwhelming.

‘I can’t imagine the distress and trauma that she must have been going through at this time, having gone through such a traumatic experience and lost her only child.’

She also praised Miss Carter’s sister Gemma Williams during the inquest.

‘To have lost Lucas and then Kelly in such short succession is unimaginable from my point of view so my heartfelt condolences really do go out to you and all your family,’ she said.

Lucas had died just two weeks earlier (Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)
Lucas had died just two weeks earlier (Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

The inquest also heard that Miss Carter had told medical staff she would kill herself once she was sent home from hospital following the tragedy.

Medical notes detailing Miss Carter’s suicide intentions were not passed on, but the coroner ruled out this as a contributory factor towards her death..

She said she was satisfied that at the time of her discharge from her hospital, it was seen as more appropriate for Miss Carter to plan Lucas’s funeral.

An inquest into the young boy’s death has not yet been held.