Jeni Larmour inquest: Mum recalls daughter's 'electric personality'

The mother of an Armagh teenager, who was found dead in her university halls in Newcastle, has told her inquest about her "many talents" and "electric personality".

Jeni Larmour died on 3 October 2020, just hours after moving into her halls of residence at Newcastle University.

The 18-year-old's inquest heard she likely died from a combination of ketamine and alcohol.

Jeni's mother, Sandra, told Newcastle Coroner's Court her daughter had many talents, including singing and acting, as well as her academic abilities and interests in fundraising.

Mrs Larmour described Jeni as having an "electric personality" and an "infectious big laugh".

She told the court Jeni would leave notes around the house saying 'I love you, Sandra' and that the two would sing Dolly Parton songs together.

"She was an unassuming girl of many talents," said Sandra.

Mrs Larmour concluded her evidence, stating: "Her death has left a huge void that will never be filled".

The court heard evidence from a toxicology report, which found the level of alcohol in Jeni's blood was around two and a half times the driving limit.

The court was also told the level of ketamine in her blood was below that which would normally be considered fatal.

Home Office pathologist Dr Nigel Cooper said: "The implication is then that ketamine alone would not have caused her death."

Jeni's former flatmate, Kavir Kalliecharan, pleaded guilty to the possession of ketamine, MDMA and cannabis in June 2021 and was handed a two-year conditional discharge.

The now 20-year-old student appeared before Newcastle Coroner's Court to give evidence.

Kalliecharan told the court that Jeni had supplied two small bags of drugs, one filled with ketamine.

He told the court there was nothing he wanted to change from his original police interview.

Asked by a police officer about whether he felt "guilty in a moral sense about what happened", he replied "yes".

The Larmour family have always disputed the claim that Jeni was the one to have supplied the drugs.

The inquest is due to conclude on Wednesday.

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