THE DEATH of a “kind and loving” Alresford woman who died after falling from height has been ruled a suicide.

Judith Elizabeth McGetrick, 76, of The Dean, died on September 20, 2023.

The inquest into her death was held at Winchester Coroners’ Court on Monday, September 23.

A post-mortem by consultant pathologist Dr Adnan Al-Badri found that the cause of death was traumatic haemothorax, caused by a fall from height onto a road.

READ MORE: What happens at an inquest and what can the press report?

In a statement read by the coroner, Evelyn Ellis, a friend of Mrs McGetrick, described her as “one of (her) closest friends”, and a “kind and lovely person”.

Mrs Ellis’s statement continued: “It never crossed my mind that something like this could happen.”

According to Mrs Ellis’s statement, Mrs McGetrick had been under a considerable amount of stress after her husband, John McGetrick, was diagnosed with dementia several years ago.

The inquest heard that Mrs McGetrick had been attempting to care for her husband by selling their house in The Dean, but that the couple had not been able to find any buyers. Things had come to a head when the basement of the property had flooded on September 20 for the second time in a few months, with Mrs McGetrick leaving the house without telling her husband.

In a written statement, Mr McGetrick said: “We were married for 52 years, and we had lived at our current address for around 30 years.

“In the evening of this day, I found that the basement had flooded. Judy came downstairs and saw that the basement was full of water. I went into the basement to have a look, and when I came out our car was missing from the front of the house. The keys were gone, and her phone was still in the kitchen.

“The next thing I knew, the police were telling me she had died.”

Mr McGetrick said that had spent the day with his wife, and that she had shown no prior signs of distress or any indication that she was going to take her life.

SEE ALSO: Marine engineer in chronic pain died from overdose of prescription drugs

Dr John Foreman, of the Alresford Surgery, said that he had become Mrs McGetrick’s GP shortly prior to her death. He said in his statement that her medical history indicated no prior mental health issues or treatment, apart from mild insomnia and anxiety in 2013 when she was in the process of donating a kidney.

Senior coroner Christopher Wilkinson ruled Mrs McGetrick’s death a suicide, noting that she was under acute stress at the time.

He concluded by saying: “I would like to extend to Mr McGetrick and those who knew Judy my condolences.”