Abigail Brown and her boyfriend James Brum headed out to explore Phuket while travelling together in Thailand earlier this year.
The couple had their whole futures planned – they wanted to have children and get married, but all of that came to a halt after a drunk fight caused Abigail to take her own life, alone in their hotel in the early hours of the morning.
The 26-year-old had left the club, after getting into a fight with James. He decided to give her time to “cool off” and headed back three hours later to find her already dead.
Abi’s mother, Jane Rowland, told the court this week of the phone call she received from James to tell her what had happened.
“James said Abi is gone. We had a silly row, she went back to the room…She’s died,” she said, as reported by The Telegraph.
“He said [the row] was nothing. They did not really row. I did not see them all the time but they had a whole future planned.”
“That night she had too much to drink. She had gone back in a huff. I know in her mind she thought he was going to follow her back, find her and they would move on and never have that row again.”
She added that she “truly believed” her daughter had not intended to take her own life, that she was drunk and had only meant to show James how upset he’d made her.
“She meant only to frighten him,” she said.
Of the pair’s relationship, Jane said they were a “loving couple” and “had a whole future planned.”
Coroner Samantha Marsh recorded a verdict of misadventure during the inquest, saying she believed Abi took “a risk” but didn’t intend to kill herself.
“I believe Abi undertook a risk, and that was the risk of putting something around her neck but I don’t believe Abi intended the consequence of what she did,” she said.
“She had a healthy lifestyle and was physically and mentally fit and healthy. She added that there “were no concerns of mental health issues.”
“I think it went wrong. James did not follow her back from the party like she thought he would have done. He did not come home for three hours, maybe he gave her time to cool off.”
“For that reason I am satisfied Abi’s death was due to misadventure. I am very very sorry for your loss.”
Abi’s death was ruled by the court as a tragic accident.
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