Found Deceased UK - Nicola Bulley Last Seen Walking Dog Near River - St Michaels on Wyre (Lancashire), Jan 2023 #19

[Sarahlou]

I'll be very surprised if Coroner does not return a verdict of accidental death.
Hopefully it will shut the conspiracy theorists though they are currently as rampant as usual on social media.
Idiots.

Nothing will shut them up. They are best ignored.

 

[MrsWatson]

Sometimes, a tragic accident is a tragic accident. All evidence we've heard in the inquest does not indicate any foul play whatsoever. It seems to be very clear from testimony that it was an accident.

I'm sorry Nicola's loved ones also have to contend with unfounded rumors of a crime that didn't happen.

 

[kittythehare]

Sometimes, a tragic accident is a tragic accident. All evidence we've heard in the inquest does not indicate any foul play whatsoever. It seems to be very clear from testimony that it was an accident.

I'm sorry Nicola's loved ones also have to contend with unfounded rumors of a crime that didn't happen.

Truth.
Small children attending schools with other children and rumours being fed by miscreants and trolls/
It's abuse of the highest order IMO

 

[Seattle1]

<modsnip>
Please feel free to come back on any of these specific aspects that came out of yesterday's evidence.
1 A witness puts another female in the field at 9.15.The other female says they got there at 9.30.Which one is lying on oath and why
2 Another witness references a man dressed in black being in the vicinity of Nicola around this time. Has he been found and eliminated
3 The Police view is she entered the water around 9.22.At that time one person left at 9.18,another person may have been there depending on point and another unidentified person was reported as being there. So why was nothing seen or heard
4 The Hypothesis comes from an increased heart rate at 9.22.This could also be explained by an altercation with someone still present. I would also ask why the time her heart beat stopped recording hasn't been released as this is key evidence and will be known
5 if we accept 9.22 as her time of entering the water, why is fitbit recording steps for a further 8 minutes which is ample time to exit the water and/or scream for assistance
6 Two separate people heard screams around 9.35,have these been investigated or are we to believe these respected people are also lying

Aside from the evidence heard two other key aspects exist. The first is why was Willow dry, every owner of a springer I've talked to says their dog would enter the water if their mum was struggling. The second is why was the body not found for 23 days despite the most extensive search of water in our history.
Both of these can be explained if an altercation took place.
<modsnip> All I would say is if this was a loved one of mine there are questions I'd like answers to before accepting the decision.
RIP Nicola and may your family get the findings they want even if some of us disagree with it

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts. Respectfully, the subject discrepancy (and narrative) began with OP citing that a dodgy man dressed in black was seen talking to NB and when questioned about this statement, OP then provided how reports (supporting OP?) from the inquest were edited. IMO, there's no factual evidence of either here. <modsnip: quoted post was snipped> JMO

 

[infinit]

Describing the encounter as "brief", Dr Leevy said in a review of the service provided to the Bulley family, it was found she had been in receipt of the crisis service even though she "did not wholly meet the criteria".

Nicola Bulley was looking forward to future, says partner

The mother-of-two had a "blip" over Christmas but was back to herself in January, an inquest hears.

www.bbc.com

Cheers, that adds more context. Looks like just a sad coincidence.

 

[Seattle1]

Nicola Bulley inquest latest as family set to give evidence in Preston

Yesterday's hearing heard evidence of a medical cause of death, answers from drowning experts, and analysis of her Fitbit watch

www.lancs.live

27 June 2023

The inquest into the death of Nicola Bulley will resume at County Hall in Preston today (June 27).

LancsLive is among the reporters attending the hearing which is taking place within the council chambers and will bring live updates throughout proceedings.

Today's hearing will hear evidence from a mental health expert, Nicola's GP, her sister Louise Cunningham and then her partner Paul Ansell. The coroner will deliver his conclusion after hearing from all of those and then deliberating on all evidence heard so far.

Live Blog of inquest at link above.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

I’m choosing to believe the evidence provided by the specialist scientists with years of experience, as well as the police who have ALL the information about this case. <modsnip: rude/personalizing>

 

[Cuko]

I have no problem with whatever verdict a highly experienced coroner decides to deliver. There’s just one thing puzzling me:
When contacted with the news that Nicola had disappeared, her partner reportedly responded with the words “She’s struggling“. Yet in his testimony he emphasised how positive she was feeling about the future. Perhaps both can be true but it does seem strange.

 

[MrsWatson]

I have no problem with whatever verdict a highly experienced coroner decides to deliver. There’s just one thing puzzling me:
When contacted with the news that Nicola had disappeared, her partner reportedly responded with the words “She’s struggling“. Yet in his testimony he emphasised how positive she was feeling about the future. Perhaps both can be true but it does seem strange.

Maybe just a knee-jerk reaction during the phone call since she had been struggling in the not-too-distant past?

 

[infinit]

My view has remained consistent throughout in that this is very unlikely to have been an accident, and the evidence provided yesterday only re-enforces this view.

I'm not saying it's the case here, but there is a thing called confirmation bias where if you have an opinion or view you tend (and it's typically unconsciously) look for evidence that supports that view and disregard evidence that goes against it.

e.g. point 5, I believe every fitbit uses a 3 axis accelerometer to detect motion and it will then look for movements that are vaguely like the motion it expects from a person walking and adds a step. These are by no means perfect (the newer models are a bit better), here is an example of what one will register as steps:

Nothing is mentioned about how many etc, it's not unreasonable to expect it to measure the odd step or two as her motion from entering the water slows down, I wouldn't be surprised to be honest if the last step(s) to be measured is when she went over the weir.

 

[heartandsoul]

I have no problem with whatever verdict a highly experienced coroner decides to deliver. There’s just one thing puzzling me:
When contacted with the news that Nicola had disappeared, her partner reportedly responded with the words “She’s struggling“. Yet in his testimony he emphasised how positive she was feeling about the future. Perhaps both can be true but it does seem strange.

It was true. She had been struggling, but she was doing better in recent days/weeks. He probably felt it relevant to mention/it came to mind, but that doesn't change what happened.

 

[kittythehare]

Coroner is currently summing up prior to delivering his verdict.
Lancs police expected to deliver a statement following verdict.
Source, Telegraph

 

[kittythehare]

14:37Kelly-Ann Mills

Verdict expected shortly​

Dr James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire, is currently in the courtroom going through the evidence he has heard over the last few days.
He has remineded the hearing:

• Nicola was last seen alive by fellow dog-walker Claire Chesholm at 9.10am
• At 9.18am she adjusted the volume of her conference call
• PC Keith Greenhalgh examined Nikki’s Fitbit device- it recorded steps in 15 minute segments. On January 27 she walked 4,548 steps between 8am and 9.30am. Between 9.15am and 9.30am she walked 273 steps. No further steps after 9.30am
• At 9.22am the FitBit recorded a substantially increased heart rate
• Penny Fletcher arrived at the bench at 9.33am. Nicola was nowhere to be seen but Willow was found and the dog’s harness was found between the bench and the river
• Nicola was last seen alive at 9.10am, interacted with her phone at 9.18am and Mrs Fletcher found Willow at 9.33am. This provides a maximum window of time of 15 minutes when Nicola went into the river
• The river bank had an “almost vertical drop”
• At the base a stone wall had been built to prevent further erosion and this provided no footholds or handholds. If you fell here you would certainly enter the water
• The opposite bank, 20 metres away, was also a difficult site to climb out
• On January 27 the Environment Agency said the flow over the weir was 0.49 metres. When police did a reconstruction the weir height was almost half this but even at that level it took a body over the weir
• The flow on the river on the day Nicola died made it “almost impossible” to get out
• Nicola would have been unable to reach the bottom of the river until she had travelled for “at least 40 metres” downstream
• Two world leading experts, Dr Paddy Morgan and Professor Mike Tipton, said Nicola would have been overwhelmed by cold water shock after falling into the water
• The water temperature was 3.6C would have elicited a powerful response in Nicola - not related to body size but the rapid cooling of the skin
• Nicola's clothing would not have slowed her response to cold water shock
• Adrenalin is released immediately which can cause a person’s heart to stop instantaneously
• If this doesn’t occur there is an overwhelming urge to gasp. If Nicola’s head was underwater she could have inhaled two litres of water which would have been a lethal dose
• There was a good chance Nicola's first breath was underwater. Even if was above the water, if she then became submerged, an increased heart rate and blood rate would have used oxygen at a rate where she would have lost consciousness within 48 seconds. However, this was highly optimistic and it would more likely have been 30 seconds with increasingly impaired consciousness
• Such was the shock of immersion Nicola would have been unable to stand up or float
• She would have died before reaching the first point in the river where she could have touched the bottom
• Nikki had no alcohol in her bloodstream at the time of her death
• The cause of death was drowning
• The RNLI’s Float to Live campaign urges people to tilt their head back, relax, try to breathe normally and spread yourself out. Such education may save the lives of other people who are unlucky enough to enter cold water
• On the possible involvement of third parties: all of the witnesses who were in the area did not note anyone suspicious in the area of the field where Nicola was walking
• Det Supt Rebecca Smith said CCTV of three of the four entry points to the field shows nobody acting unusually. CCTV from the fourth point only showed one direction but this also showed nobody
• Police contacted the owners of 700 cars which passed the road and examined dashcam footage. Nothing unusual was spotted
• Dr Armour said there was no evidence Nicola was assaulted nor that a third-party was involved
• Although two women heard a scream it was not of a nature which caused concern and was some distance from where Nicola was. At the time they were heard Nicola was probably already dead

His verdict is expected imminently.

Nicola Bulley drowned after falling into cold water in tragic accident - RECAP

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT Nicola Bulley, 45, vanished on January 27 after dropping her daughters at school then taking her usual dog walk along the River Wyre in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire

www.mirror.co.uk

 

[Rusty Braincells]

I have no problem with whatever verdict a highly experienced coroner decides to deliver. There’s just one thing puzzling me:
When contacted with the news that Nicola had disappeared, her partner reportedly responded with the words “She’s struggling“. Yet in his testimony he emphasised how positive she was feeling about the future. Perhaps both can be true but it does seem strange.

Just a personal view, but, if Nicola, someone with her life quite together, a job she was good at, and people who loved her, was going through spells of problem drinking (the call her sister made, Paul’s observations) and then stopping (no alcohol in her system, Paul confirming she had stopped) and being more stable: it can get bad pretty fast, but it can get good pretty fast, too.

Once you stop drinking even for a few days, and get through the withdrawals, and remember all that you have, then you can feel positive about the future and spend quality time with family and friends. You can be almost back to your old self.

From all that’s been said, I think the majority of the time Nicola was a happy, successful, loving woman but occasionally, she went through spells of using alcohol to cope and that disrupted her mental health along with her menopause issues. Someone on a serious alcohol binge can almost seem to be having a breakdown (I’ve been there) and then sober up and be themselves again a week later (been there too). You’ll ask how it can change so drastically but it’s the presence of a substance in large quantities, then (after withdrawals stop) the beautiful absence of it, simple as that.

 

[kittythehare]

Coroner has concluded
ACCIDENTAL DEATH.
RIP now Nicola.
Your family knows you loved them.
(get a source in a sec)

Nicola Bulley's death was an accident, coroner rules

The 45-year-old disappeared after dropping her daughters, six and nine, at school on January 27 before taking her usual dog walk along the River Wyre.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[kittythehare]

I'm getting the weepers now. wasn't expecting that...
Probably lots of people are now freed up to grieve.

 

[kittythehare]

Nicola Bulley drowned accidentally after falling into cold water, inquest rules

45-year-old is believed to have suffered cold water shock after falling into the River Wyre

www.independent.co.uk

 

[MrsWatson]

Make Nicola rest in peace.

 

[infinit]

I hope this coming to an end enables her family to "move on" or whatever the correct wording is and that they get left in peace now.

 

[MollyHarps]

RIP Nicola

I hope the family can now grieve in peace - they came across really well in the inquest and they agreed with the evidence that it was a complete accident.