Nicola Bulley's sister sobs she 'wouldn't have left dog unattended' as GP says 'nothing' suggested mum was suicidal | The Sun
NICOLA Bulley's sister wept today as she told an inquest the tragic mum would never leave dog Willow unattended.
The mum-of-two, 45, was last seen in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, on January 27, after dropping her daughters off at school.
Her disappearance gripped the nation after it was revealed her mobile was found on a bench by the river still connected to a work conference call.
Nicola's pet springer spaniel Willow was also discovered – but there was no trace still of the mum of two.
Tragically, her body was found in the river on February 19 – three weeks after she vanished.
The inquest into Nicola's death is continuing today in front of partner Paul Ansell, sister Louise Cunningham and parents Ernest and Dot Bulley.
Louise sobbed as she paid tribute to her "big sister" during her evidence and revealed details of her final weeks.
She described Nicola as "absolutely brilliant" as she told how she was just returning to her "normal self" following a "blip" with her hormone replacement therapy.
Louise also said dog Willow was like Nicola's "third child" as she told how her sister "never, ever confided" in her about having suicidal thoughts.
Coroner Dr James Adeley asked: "If this was something she had thought about, taking her own life, would she just leave the dog in the field and go?"
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Louise replied: "Absolutely not. There is no way Nikki would leave Willow unattended."
Preston County Hall heard how Nicola and Louise had childhood nicknames for each other – Clacker and Tosh.
On the morning she vanished, Louise had messaged her sister about booking a spa day.
Louise booked the spa day, then signed off a text to her at 8.52am with the words 'Tosher'.
The sister said: "Literally I was saying it was booked, but she never picked up the message."
The inquest was told police had attended a report of concern for welfare at Nicola’s home on January 10 but no arrests were made.
The inquest was told that Louise had called a mental health team asking for "some assistance".
The family had become concerned with the mum's increased alcohol use and had said she "didn't want to be here", it was alleged.
Louise said: "It was a bit of a wake-up call for her I think. She was fuming with me for calling the ambulance, she thought I had overreacted and maybe I did, but she is my sister and I was concerned.
"She started to get back to normal after that."
Partner Paul and Louise met police, a paramedic and Theresa Lewis Leevy – a mental health clinician – at the family home.
Ms Lewis Leevy said she spoke with Nicola in the bedroom and told the hearing she "appeared to be intoxicated".
The following day, the mum went to a walk-in centre saying she had had fallen and banged her head the previous night .
Nicola, who had started hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for perimenopause, also complained she was feeling drowsy and had been sick.
She was sent to A&E at Blackpool Victoria Infirmary where a CT scan found no internal injuries.
The hearing was also told Nicola had been struggling with sleep previously and her "brain felt overloaded".
Her former Dr Rebecca Gray said there was "nothing" in Nicola's medical records to suggest Nicola was suicidal.
Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour, who carried out a post mortem on Nicola, yesterday gave her cause of death as drowning.
The expert said she believed Nicola was alive when she entered the water and confirmed there was no sign she had been assaulted before her death and no indication of third party involvement.
Dr Armour also confirmed Nicola had not been drinking before her death and had "therapeutic levels" of a beta blocker in her system.
The inquest was also told it is likely Nicola fell into the River Wyre from a "cliff-edge drop".
Once in the water, she travelled at a "metre a second" downstream in the "steady flow" of the river.
Her Fitbit watch and Mercedes car keys were discovered three weeks later when her Nicola's body was recovered.
The watch had stopped recording Nicola's steps at 9.30am on the day she disappeared.
DC Keith Greenhalgh said that due to analysis of her iPhone and Fitbit watch data, she “very possibly” entered the water at 9.22am.
A heart rate output was still given eight days after she died drowned before it lost power on February 4.
DC Greenhalgh said this possibly "could be a result of the movement of water passing between the device and Nicola’s wrist".
He added: "Testing on inanimate objects provided similar results when there was a movement in the water.”
The court was told the water was just 4C when Nicola vanished, which could lead to cold water shock and cause a person's muscles to seize up.
Diving expert Professor Mike Tipton said she would have lost consciousness almost instantly as a result of the temperature.
He also suggested she would have drowned in "one or two breaths" due to her size and the temperature of the water.
Tragically, Professor Tipton said she would have died "in less than minutes".
Pressure is now mounting on Lancashire Police over Nicola's disappearance after a series of blunders during the probe.
The mum's body was found by two dog walkers less than a mile from where she was last seen despite a "hugely complex and highly emotional" search.
The force also came under fire for disclosing painfully personal details of Nicola's struggle with alcohol and the perimenopause.
They confirmed she had "vulnerabilities" at the time she went missing and was a high-risk missing person.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were among officials questioning why the information was revealed.
The police watchdog also launched a probe into a "welfare check" carried out at Nicola's home just 17 days before she vanished.
An independent review is also being carried out over the force's handling of the case after being ordered by Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden.
The inquest continues.
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