Mum took her own life by jumping in front of a train

A mum-of-four took her own life on her partner’s birthday by jumping in front of a train at a station, an inquest heard.

Charlotte Cash, 34, died instantly in the tragedy at Wigan North Western railway station in February.

Witness Martin Kemp told the inquest at Bolton Coroner’s Court that Ms Cash ‘appeared from a group’ of people on platform four then ‘jumped’ down onto the tracks.

Mr Kemp, who was waiting to get on the Virgin Trains service to London Euston, said in a statement that she appeared to him to have been ‘upset or disturbed’. The train driver, John Baker, said the train was around 20 yards away and was travelling at around 30mph.

“The train braked as well as it could,” he said.

“There was no room to stop unfortunately. It is my opinion that her actions were deliberate.”

Ms Cash, who worked as a carer and lived with her partner Andrew Tollitt in Newtown, Wigan, left him a note which was ‘suggestive of what she planned to do’, the inquest was told.

He also received text messages from her after he left for work on the morning of his birthday, February 17, which the inquest heard ‘expressed her feelings’.

The inquest heard that Ms Cash had had suffered from mental health difficulties in the past, and used cocaine.

She had attempted suicide twice before and had been under the care of a specialist mental health team, senior coroner John Pollard was told.

Mr Tollitt said that on the morning of his birthday he went downstairs, opened cards then got ready for work. He said Ms Cash gave him a ‘kiss and a cuddle’ before he left and nothing appeared unusual or concerning. He returned home that night to be told of Ms Cash’s death by the British Transport Police.

Mr Tollitt told the inquest: “She kept quite a lot back but was a very caring person.”

A pathologist gave a cause of death after a post-mortem examination was multiple injuries.

Consultant forensic toxicologist Julie Evans said tests showed Ms Cash had used cocaine and drank alcohol ‘at some time’ before her death, but the levels found in her body were not enough to have caused intoxication.

Senior coroner John Pollard recorded a verdict of suicide. He said: “Bearing in mind the note that was left, I am more than persuaded that she intended to put herself under the wheels of that train.”