THE mother of a newlywed told an inquest how her daughter screamed "I don't want to die" after stabbing herself in the groin following an argument.

In May, Mrs Lisa Marie Whittington died in her husband Marvin's arms as he tried to stop the bleeding caused when she twice thrust a kitchen knife into her abdomen purely out of "frustration rather than attempting to take her own life".

The second cut severed the femoral artery resulting in the 28-year-old diabetic falling into unconsciousness and, only minutes later, dying from a loss of blood.

Her mother, Mrs Jacklyn Joseph told Wednesday's inquest at Bury that she was certain her daughter did not want to commit suicide.

Mrs Joseph said: "We both looked at each other and then down at the blood. Lisa said 'Oh, mum! I don't want to die, I don't want to die'."

Mrs Whittington married Marvin in January and the couple lived with her mother at The Heys, Prestwich.

Mother and daughter were involved in an argument over the couple wanting to find their own place to live.

Mrs Joseph left the house during the row and Lisa opened a kitchen drawer, grabbed a knife and told Marvin to keep away.

Mr Whittington told the inquest: "Lisa wanted to go outside with the knife and I was fearful of what she was going to do. I stood with my back to the door, preventing her from leaving the house.

"Then I saw Lisa bring the knife down towards her leg area. She dropped the knife and began to bleed very badly from her groin area. Her mum called the emergency services" PC Ian Glover, who was first to arrive at the house, said he found Mr Whittington cradling his wife on the kitchen floor. Both men tried to stop the blood flow and gave artificial resuscitation when she slipped into unconsciousness and died.

Coroner Mr Barrie Williams recorded a verdict of misadventure.

He heard earlier how Mrs Whittington, who also had a heart complaint, regularly suffered mood swings following the death of her four-year-old son from a heart defect two years earlier.

On two occasions, while under immense pressure, she had cut her wrists in frustration but not to commit suicide.

Mr Williams, who later commended PC Glover for keeping a cool head in terrible situation, said: "Mrs Whittington did not intend to kill herself. She intended, as she had done before, to vent her frustrations by harming herself. She stabbed her leg with the knife which severed one of the body's main arteries and the bleeding was too great."

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