Young mum sent heartbreaking text about her daughter before falling from bridge

A young mum sent a heartbreaking text about her daughter before falling off a bridge to her death.

Amy Fitzgerald texted her mother to tell her she was going to harm herself on December 28, 2018, Yorkshire Live reports.

Later that day, the 24-year-old died after falling from the North Bridge in Halifax.

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In a statement read out at Bradford Coroners’ Court, Jayne Wilkinson, Amy’s mum, detailed the message that was sent to her.

It said: “Mum, I’m sorry but this time I’m going. “Please tell (daughter’s name) I loved her so much.”

Mrs Wilkinson later heard from the father of Amy’s child that she had fallen from North Bridge after someone had put it on Facebook.

The inquest was told Amy had suffered from severe mental health problems and had struggled with depression from the age of 15.

Mrs Wilkinson said: “And the first I knew of this was when I received a call to say she was on the flyover at Burdock Way.

“I rushed there and was met by the police. The police negotiator told me Amy had heard my voice and she eventually came over the side to safety.”

Assistant coroner Angela Brocklehurst heard evidence that she was also once found in some woods with stab wounds to her legs and on another occasion, her mum had to break into her flat because she had self-harmed and was unconscious.

But Mrs Wilkinson, who is attending the hearing and is being represented by counsel, said she would always seek help from professionals.

She said that on December 28 she received a text message from Amy at 12.08 saying: ‘I’m not good for anyone, off to Dales (the unit at Calderdale Royal Hospital for patients with mental health problems) to get sectioned.’

She said she called her back but couldn’t remember what she had said.

Less than an hour later Amy sent her the text message which heralded the end of her life.

Mrs Wilkinson said: “As a family we do not believe that Amy meant to take her life that day.

“We believe she fell and if she had received the help she needed over the years and particularly on that day, she would still be with us and (her daughter) would still have her mummy.

“She has always tried to seek help from the local authorities and has been unsuccessful.

“With all the current media focus on mental health, for a young woman to turn up to the mental health unit on a cold December day with shorts on and with dry blood on her hands and where an independent person has stopped to talk to Amy due to the distressed state she was in.

“In addition to this my only daughter went where she thought she would get help and for me now to have to explain to her little girl that her mummy did try to get help should not be happening.

“We believe Amy was badly let down by the hospital. I was not contacted at all by anyone in the time from her attending hospital to her falling to her death.

“I was in Halifax until 2.10pm and so I could have got to the bridge in time to help.”

The court heard a police negotiator tried to talk her down from the bridge but to no avail.

She was bleeding heavily and appears to have lost consciousness before falling to the ground below.

The hearing continues.

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