A grieving mother claims her pregnant daughter accidentally killed herself in a ‘moment of madness’ after her boyfriend ended their relationship because she refused to have an abortion.
Cassie Turton from King’s Lynn, Norfolk, took an overdose of over-the-counter medicine hours after partner, Michael Fysh, finished their seven-month romance.
The 26-year-old restaurant supervisor wanted to start a family, despite suffering from Marfan syndrome, a genetic condition that increases risks during pregnancy.
After telling her partner she wanted to keep the baby, she slashed her wrists and then sent images of what she had done to his phone in a cry for help.
Mr Fysh, 27, raised the alarm by forwarding the pictures to Miss Turton’s mother, Sandra Hammond-Grant, who immediately rushed to her flat to find her being helped by a neighbour.
She said Mr Fysh, who has two children from another relationship, evantually turned up, but started a vicious argument with her daughter and stormed off.
Her condition then got worse and Mrs Hammond-Grant was forced to drive her to hospital after an ambulance failed to turn for 40 minutes after they called 999.
Tragically, Miss Turton died hours later, on Valentine’s Day, in Papworth Hospital, Cambridge. A post mortem concluded the cause of death was an overdose.
Mrs Hammond-Grant, 50, said her daughter was delighted to be pregnant and refuses to believe she meant to kill herself.
‘She had always dreamed of finding her perfect man and then having a happy baby. It’s all gone so tragically wrong,’ she said.
‘She was so caring towards him, always cooking for him and buying him things but he was a jack the lad, he thought he was it, always out with his mates.
‘She had talked about leaving him but didn’t want to kill the baby or raise it alone, so felt trapped.’
The family said they have heard nothing from Mr Fysh since the tragedy and feel ‘too angry’ to approach him.
Her brother, Bradley Prior, 31, said: ‘If you narrow it all down, it was either “You kill the baby or I’m not going to be with you”. That’s how blunt it was. No one should ever be in that position.’
Couple: Michael Fysh, right, rushed to Miss Turton’s apartment after telling him she wanted to keep their baby.
Miss Turton, a restaurant supervisor, had gone with for a pregnancy check-up with her mother the morning before her death.
Her mother added: ‘It was just a mad five minute temper, a moment of madness, she can’t have realised the consequences.’
‘She was energetic, bubbly and so sociable. She has a wicked, funny sense of humour and the most wonderful smile.
‘She would brighten up every room, just fill it with happiness. I can’t imagine life without her.’
Miss Turton’s family claim the East of England Ambulance Service Trust also has questions to answer, after paramedics took more than 40 minutes to arrive.
But the trust said they arrived to find the patient had left the address and nobody was home when they arrived.
A spokeswoman said: ‘We received a 999 call at 9.30pm on February 13 to reports of an unwell female.
‘A paramedic called the caller back at 10.02pm but was told that the patient had left the address and would be taken to hospital by her family once they located her.’
An inquest into Cassie’s death has been opened at Norwich Coroner’s Court.
Mr Fysh’s mother yesterday said her son did not want to comment.
Passed away: Miss Turton was taken to Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, but died on Valentine’s Day.
