A CORONER has ruled that a Burnley woman with a history of self harm, did not intend to take her own life, after being found with ‘serious’ cuts on her arms.

Senior coroner Richard Taylor heard prior to her death, 49-year-old Carole Ashe had frequently needed treatment for self-inflicted injuries made after she had been drinking.

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Her partner Tracy Ashe told the hearing at Burnley Magistrates Court that there had not been ‘any signs’ Carole had been self-harming, as had occurred on previous occasions.

On the day of her death, in July, the door to Carole’s room had remained closed, the inquest was told.

But her partner said this was not unusual as, if suffering a bout of depression, she would remain in bed until late.

Tracy confirmed later that this was still the case when she left for work at 5.30am, when she returned later at 8.30am, and when she went shopping in the early afternoon with Carole’s sister before departing for start a second job at 3.30pm.

She told the inquest that she became concerned when she received a text from Carole’s son Ryan, asking if his mum was alright.

The court was told that Tracy returned to their home in Albert Street, Burnley and found Carole with two knife wounds on her arms.

Emergency services were alerted and Carole was taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital. However, despite medics’ best efforts she died a short time later from her injuries.

A pathologist recorded a cause of death as the incisions to her arms after a post-mortem examination.

Mr Taylor said it was accepted that the deceased was ‘troubled’ for a number of years.

He also added there was evidence that she had received assistance from the community mental health team and her GP on occasion.

Mr Taylor said: “On this occasion when she cut herself it was clearly deeper than before and this led to her death.

“On the evidence before me this was done as a ‘release’ for her.

“That is what she did and there is no evidence that she did that intending to deliberately end her own life.”

The coroner said that in the “unusual circumstances” of the case he could only return a conclusion of misadventure.