AN ANDOVER mum who was depressed following the death of her child, died after taking an overdose at her home, and inquest heard.

Jennifer Dawn Mason was found unconscious by Graham Tudgay, her partner of more than 20 years, on August 15, 2020, and was pronounced dead by paramedics who arrived later.

Recording a verdict of suicide, area coroner Jason Pegg concluded that Ms Mason died of an overdose and diabetic ketoacidosis, which happens in people with diabetes if their body starts to run out of insulin.

The 59-year-old mum, from River Way in Andover, had tried to take her life twice before according to her partner, who provided a statement for the inquest.

On both occasions, in 2007 and 2018, Mr Tudgay had gone out to the shops and returned to find Ms Mason had taken an overdose. The inquest heard that Ms Mason had visited her GP at Andover Health Centre in September 2019 to request a sick note because she was unhappy at work.

Mr Pegg said: “She said she had a tough life and wasn’t liked her entire life. She asked the GP to write her off for life.”

Ms Mason, who had a son, was referred to a psychology team and advised to refer herself to iTalk – an NHS talking therapy service - by Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Mr Tudgay said in his statement that Ms Mason did not work and was “often depressed”. He added: “She lost a child before we met and this was the cause of her depression.”

In 2005 she suffered a miscarriage which he said, “made her even more depressed”.

In 2015 Ms Mason was diagnosed with diabetes and in 2019 she suffered a heart attack.

Her partner said that in the lead-up to her death she was stressed because of emails from the Job Centre and was worried she would lose her benefits.

On the day of Ms Mason’s death, Mr Tudgay went to Tesco in Andover at around 4.30pm. When he returned, he found her unconscious on the sofa and called an ambulance.

When paramedics arrived, they pronounced her dead.

Mr Pegg concluded: “I’m satisfied that she was depressed and that she was someone who had on at least two occasions tried to take her own life.”

He added: “Jennifer Mason did intend to take her own life.”