Schoolgirl, 13, took own life by jumping from cliffs, inquest hears

2022-12-15

Schoolgirl, 13, took her own life by jumping from cliffs while on family holiday, inquest hears

Safia Lardner, 13, from Moseley, Birmingham was on holiday in Exeter in 2021
She sent messages to a friend saying she was ‘excited about jumping off a cliff’
She was described by her parents as ‘bubbly’ but had been affected by lockdown
The family said she felt isolated and lonely from not being able to see her friends
*For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116 123 or go to samaritans.org*

A 13-year-old schoolgirl jumped to her death on the last day of an Easter family holiday, an inquest heard.

Safia Lardner, 13, from Moseley, Birmingham, had sent WhatsApp messages to a friend saying she was ‘excited about jumping off a cliff’.

The inquest at Exeter Coroner’s Court in Devon heard yesterday that the Lardner family were on a holiday trip to a static caravan park at Sandy Bay, Exmouth, in April 2021.

On the last day of the four-day break Safia decided she wanted to stay in the caravan while her parents Robert and Marcia and brother went swimming at the complex’s pool.

Safia Lardner, 13, from Moseley, Birmingham, took her own life on the last day of her family holiday in Exeter

Exeter Coroner’s Court in Devon heard Safia wanted to stay in the caravan while her parents Robert and Marcia and brother went swimming at the complex’s pool

When they returned 90 minutes later Safia was not there which they said was ‘unusual’ and they saw an air ambulance and realised it was Safia.

Eye witness Bethyn Yates was walking with a friend of the beach below the cliffs, which rise to 180 feet, when her friend screamed ‘oh my God’ as she saw a figure fall.

Detective sergeant Guy Biggar examined the coastal path above the scene of the incident and said there was a four foot high barbed wire fence leading to the cliff edge.

Safia’s mobile phone was never located but her father Robert said WhatsApp messages had been sent to a friend about being ‘excited to jump off a cliff’.

She died from multiple wounds consistent with a fall from height, a post-mortem concluded.

The assistant coroner for Devon Luisa Nicholson said Safia had been on the last day of their family holiday when she had gone to the cliffs to end her life.

She said the motive was unknown but Safia had sent messages about her intentions.

She recorded a suicide conclusion and said she could not imagine the horror of what the family was going through.

Afterwards her parents Robert and Marcia said Safia was a ‘bubbly’ child but she had been badly affected by lockdown.

‘She could not see her friends and was lonely. We were waiting for the new normal and we are stuck in that time, We will never get over it.’

Safia’s family said that felt isolated and lonely as a result of lockdown and not seeing friends and having to study schoolwork from home.

Her school said she was a ‘kind and thoughtful’ girl with a talent for kindness to others who loved birds.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116 123 or go to samaritans.org

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