Canadian teenager Ashley Wadsworth who met her boyfriend online died from chest stab wounds in Essex

A teenager from Canada who met her boyfriend through an online dating app and came to Essex last year died of stab wounds to the chest, an inquest has heard.

Ashley Wadsworth, 19, was pronounced dead at an address in Tennyson Road in Chelmsford, Essex, on 1 February.

Her boyfriend, Jack Sepple, has been charged with her murder.

The 23-year-old, of Tennyson Road, Chelmsford, was not asked to enter pleas at an earlier hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court and was remanded in custody until a further hearing at the court on March 7.

An inquest into Ms Wadsworth's death was opened in Chelmsford on Thursday.

The hearing was told that the teenager was found unresponsive and paramedics confirmed her death at 4.38pm.

A post-mortem examination recorded her provisional medical cause of death as "stab wounds to the chest".

Essex's senior coroner, Lincoln Brookes, suspended the inquest proceedings pending the outcome of crown court proceedings.

Ms Wadsworth, originally from Vernon, British Colombia, moved to Chelmsford in November 2021.

Charmaine Wadsworth, Ashley's stepmother, has previously spoken of the impact on her family, who are now trying to raise $50,000 to bring her body home.

She said: "We're just remembering how strong and smart and witty Ashley was and how kind she was and how she was always 10 steps ahead of all of us.

"And she'll be dearly missed by each and every one of us."