The tragic death of a 'talented, independent and beautiful' young woman

A much-loved trainee accountant took her own life when she was hit by a train passing through a station in Greater Manchester at high speed, a coroner has concluded. Alanis Ogundipe, who was 26, was described by her family as a 'fantastically-talented, intelligent, independent and beautiful young woman with a big future ahead of her'.

Tragically, an inquest heard she died at Eccles railway station in Salford on May 29 last year. A coroner recorded a conclusion of suicide following a two-day hearing at Bolton Coroners' Court.

Coroner Peter Sigee said it was possible Alanis was suffering 'significant, short-term financial difficulties' at the time and also referenced the 'possible breakdown of a relationship with a partner'.

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Alanis, the inquest heard, was born in Stockton-on-Tees and was living at Charter House on Barton Lane, Eccles. She moved to Manchester in 2016 and secured a place at Manchester Business School.

Her mother, Josephine Ogundipe, said in a statement her daughter was 'academically gifted and had a desire to succeed that was unmatched'. "Her loss is immeasurable and it is something that we as a family will never be able to come to terms with," she added. "Alanis was generally a very happy, bubbly, outgoing person and she would light up a room. Alanis was loved unconditionally by her family, a fact to which all of us can attest."

The family said she was 'very sensible and measured... and was always very good at handling money'. Mrs Ogundipe said Alanis suffered with her mental health while at secondary school, but it gave her an 'appreciation of the importance of good mental health'.

She was said to have suffered 'intermittently' from bouts of depression as an adult, but they were said to have been triggered 'by the pressure of external events and circumstances', like exams. Alanis, the inquest heard, was based with Big Four firm KPMG as an audit associate and was completing a fast-track chartered accountant qualification.

But coroner Mr Sigee said evidence heard suggested she didn't pass a final exam and ended up 'pursuing a different route towards a qualification' after leaving the company.

Mrs Ogundipe said they were very close and to the best of her knowledge, Alanis wasn't suffering any significant on-going mental health issues' at the time. "KPMG was a very big deal and she knew that she would have the world at her feet once she had completed her final exam," added her mother in the statement. "I would say she was in a good place mentally and physically at this time."

Mrs Ogundipe said she 'remained in awe' of her daughter's 'determination to succeed'. She said in the statement: "Alanis was very competent and fiercely independent, positively enjoying her achievements, and literally had so much to live for. No family member remembers Alanis being anything other than competent, confident and enjoying her life as well as her studying.

"Alanis had a larger than life personality as her true friends attested to and has overcome so many obstacles in her life." Mr Sigee said he found Alanis 'carried out a deliberate act, namely placing herself in the path of a train'. He said. "She did so with the intention of taking her life."

The inquest heard a police investigation concluded without any criminal action being taken against anyone. A post-mortem examination, meanwhile, gave a cause of death as 'multiple injuries'.

Two train drivers on board the train at the time also gave statements to the court, in which they said they did not have 'a sufficient opportunity to take action that would have avoided an impact', Mr Sigee said. They also confirmed the train wasn't due to stop at the station.

Mr Sigee said he rejected claims made by Alanis' family at the inquest about her former partner and about the police investigations that arose from the tragedy. He said: "I have been assisted by police officers from British Transport Police and Greater Manchester Police throughout my investigation into Alanis' death. All lines of enquiry have been followed by them to my satisfaction.

"If I had found evidence indicating criminality, I would have reported it to the police."