Woman who drowned in drain was upset about health check
A WOMAN found dead in a drain had been worried about attending a medical appointment to assess disability benefits, an inquest heard.
The body of Elaine Christian, 57, was found in Holderness Drain by a mother returning from a school run.
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INVESTIGATION: Humberside Police at Holderness Drain, where the body of Elaine Christian, 57, was found.
A post mortem revealed she had died from drowning, despite having more than ten self-inflicted cuts on her wrists.
The inquest in Hull was told Mrs Christian had been worrying about a meeting she was due to have to discuss her entitlement to disability benefits.
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Her spiralling health problems meant she had to give up her job at Cooplands bakery in Greenwich Avenue, where she was described as a cheerful, hardworking and trusted staff member.
Her husband Robert's model shop business in Holderness Road, east Hull, had recently collapsed, plunging the couple into financial difficulties.
As a result, the couple were being forced to sell Mrs Christian's childhood home in Staveley Road, Bilton Grange.
Mr Christian told the inquest he had woken up on February 7 to find his wife of 28 years missing.
He discovered a suicide note, empty packets of painkillers and pools of blood.
Mrs Christian's body was found in the drain – a 15-minute walk from the couple's home – by Louise Spiterri, of Portobello Street, east Hull, who had just dropped off her daughter at school.
Asked by Hull and East Riding coroner Geoffrey Saul if anything had been troubling his wife, Mr Christian said: "She was upset about going to a medical appointment the next day.
"I can't understand any of this."
Mrs Christian's death in February prompted police to arrest her husband, along with his brother Steven, who received a phone call at work urging him to rush round to the house.
He said: "She was worried about the assessment, but was never one to complain."
PC Gemma Budd, one of the first officers to arrive at the scene, noted evidence of a poor attempt to clean up the mess, with the presence of "watered-down" blood in the kitchen.
Officers had noted how Mrs Christian's husband had blood on his clothes, while his brother – who works at Coniston Garage – had dirt on his hands.
However, both men were cleared of any involvement after a crime scene investigation.
Antony Dickinson, a crime scene investigator supervisor, said close examinations of the pattern of blood on surfaces in the kitchen and shed ruled out foul play. He said it was likely Mrs Christian had walked to the shed to fetch craft knives in order to cut herself after she found a serrated kitchen knife was not sharp enough.
When this method also failed, Mr Dickinson believes she decided to walk the 500 metres to Holderness Drain.
Blood tests showed Mrs Christian had a "moderately high" level of the drug codeine, which is contained in the painkiller co-codamol. She was prescribed the drug last December.
Despite the presence of a suicide note, which was not read out to the court, Mr Saul said he was unable to say, with certainty, that Mrs Christian had intended to kill herself at the drain.
He said: "I have no evidence to show how she got to the drain. No one saw her there.
"Under emotional strain, on a February morning with the water level high, I cannot rule out she slipped into the water. This is a reasonable possibility.
"If she had have fallen in, it would have been remarkably difficult for her to have got out again."
Katrina Dennis, manager of Cooplands, said: "Elaine could not have kids, but she loved them and would buy them treats when they came in.
"She was one of the nicest people I knew and had a heart of gold. Elaine was totally trustworthy."
Mr Saul recorded an open verdict.
Comments
by tosh1958
Monday, February 18 2013, 12:12PM
“http://tinyurl.com/6m2xwb3”
by Arbeitsscheu
Friday, August 03 2012, 8:30PM
“If she had fallen in she wouldn't have wanted to get out, it was plainly obvious she intended to take her life due to the despicable regime of tof millionaires serving their self interest whilst the vulnerable perish in their desperation due to their actions...a plague on their houses, I sincerely hope they get their comeuppance as the world would be a better place without the worthless scum”
by 13507tegel
Wednesday, July 20 2011, 10:05PM
“Nazi Germany had a Program-named T4 for the Chancellery offices that directed it from the Berlin address Tiergartenstrasse 4-involved headed by physicians, it was established with a mandate to kill anyone deemed to have a "life unworthy of living." Some physicians active in the study of eugenics, who saw Nazism as "applied biology," enthusiastically endorsed this program.
An important criterion was economic. Nazi officials assigned people to this program largely based on their economic productivity. The Nazis referred to the victims as "burdensome lives" and "useless eaters."
The program's directors ordered a survey of all psychiatric institutions, hospitals, and homes for chronically ill patients. At T4, medical experts reviewed forms sent by institutions throughout Germany but did not examine patients or read their medical records. Nevertheless, they had the power to decide life or death. How does that compare with this government's welfare reforms and the attitude of Atos Origin Healthcare assessors?”
by silverwhistle
Thursday, July 14 2011, 8:12PM
“This is horrifying. If I'd been the coroner, I'd have returned a verdict of unlawful killing: death by government policy. My parents knew Mrs Christian through her work in their local shops.
It reminds me of the hideous Public Assistance Committee chapter in Winnie's 'South Riding'... Where's our Joe when we need him?!”
by Mark_Hull_65
Thursday, July 14 2011, 12:27AM
“No offence meant to Hospital Cleaners, it's a perfectly honourable occupation. Perhaps HRI could try employing some :-D
The problem is that all manner of people unqualified to deal with matters of disability are being employed to act as assessors in areas in which they have no expertise and they may as well be cleaners. In what sense is a midwife or physiotherapist any more qualified to decided on issues of mental health than the man or woman on the Clapham omnibus let alone choose to over-rule the opinion of a GP or, as is often the case a consultant?”
by pippa1951
Wednesday, July 13 2011, 10:24PM
“Mark Hull 65
"jumped up hospital cleaners masquerading as doctors "
Whilst I appreciate your phraseology in the context it was used, if it hadn't have been for one of these "jumped up cleaners", my afore mentioned friend would probably have died sooner than he did
Soon after an op, he had a major bleed and rang for assistance 4 times. It was only the quick thinking and action of a cleaner that averted a catastrophe.
But that's another story”
by Mark_Hull_65
Wednesday, July 13 2011, 9:43PM
“It should be kept in mind that the majority of people summoned to appear before jumped up hospital cleaners masquerading as doctors at ATOS (lack-of)Healthcare have already been granted disability benefits so the whole system is not much more than a cash-cow for a company who gets paid to kick people off benefits to which they are perfectly entitled. It would be interesting to see how their performance would be affected if the government said 'OK... We'll give you £200 for everybody you take off disability benefits but we're going to fine you £2000 for every successful appeal". With an appeal success rate of 70% perhaps it would concentrate their minds somewhat.
With all of the talk of cutting costs, shutting down quangos and slashing budgets it seems incredible that ATOS, with their lamentable record, are being given an increased role rather than having their contract terminated on the grounds of gross incompetence.”
by East_Huller
Wednesday, July 13 2011, 7:05PM
“Re: lauralouise86,
Most people in these situations get by difficulty, with the help of family, saving this country billions a year in what it would cost to have a carer or be homed - recent Government surveys prove this!
Speaking in terms of my mother, she would be a liability in the work place due to the amount of medication she has to take and the affects they have! She does have her good days but has more bad and its only going to get worse! Her condition stops her working - medical fact according to experts who are impartial and dont get paid by meeting targets no matter what damage it might cause!
In regards to what would people do if the Government wouldnt pay them a penny - ill tell you - be better off! Because if that was the case then my mother, who ran her own business for over 25 years wouldnt have paid so much in ****** taxes so the money would have gone into her pocket! Why do we pay so much, ill tell you, insurance, so should this happen in the future we know we will be looked after - or that was how it was meant to work! Shes paid up and now its unfortunately come to needing to cashing it in theyre trying to stiff her!
Finally I get your point about people who fake illness or complain about a slight ache preventing them from working BUT your post shows immaturity and a lack of both respect and compassion! These posts were about genuine people who ATOS are screwing over, not the workshy! You cannot hide from diagnosed conditions! I really hope neither you, nor one of your loved ones find yourselves in this situation!”
by Mark_Hull_65
Wednesday, July 13 2011, 2:07PM
“@lauralouise "what would these people do if the goverment wouldnt pay them a penny? live on the street?"
The same as the did in the past I suspect. Go in to the poor house or die.”
by soozhull68
Wednesday, July 13 2011, 11:52AM
“lauralouise86 ... You don't get assessed for a carer, if you're on DLA one of your family members or friends can claim Carer's Allowance of roughly £55 a week and they can look after you. If your DLA is stopped by these people the carer loses their allowance too. Bearing in mind the carer is not allowed to earn more than £100 a week, they're also going to suffer. So the upshot is you end up with a person who is too ill to work and can't look after themselves losing their sickness related benefits and ending up on JSA with no hope of a job because they can't work and to be fair even if they could struggle through a full day of work now and then no employer would touch them (imagine the insurance company's reaction to taking on a morphine dependant person) and a carer who will still have to sacrifice working full time for a living to care for the person but won't get the £55. Everyone loses and the unemployment figures get worse. Pathetic govt, **** idea, get the GPs filtering out the malingerers long before they get to the benefits stage and leave people who genuinely cannot work alone. My OH is disabled, I am his carer, up until 4 years ago we had both worked all our lives. He now can't work but is being made more ill by the stress and worry caused by this assessment, I don't work because he needs 24 hour care and supervision. If the monkeys at Stanley Street assess him as fit to work I will see them in court!”