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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Jonathan Chubb & Katie Weston

Teen told best pal 'you've not got much time' in last message before she was found dead

A teenager told her best friend "you've not got much time" in a last message sent moments after disappearing from her home, an inquest heard.

Amy Louise Hall, 17, was reported missing in Hayfield, Derbyshire in September last year by her mum Nicola Hall.

Two days later, police and rescue workers found her body at the foot of a tree near a trail in the High Peak.

She had sent a voice note to her best friend, Edith Jackman, on the same day she went missing and that was the last anyone heard from her, reports Derbyshire Live.

Amy said in the message: "You've not got much time because I can't do this with how I'm feeling right now", the hearing was told.

Giving evidence, Nicola described her daughter as a happy child, although said she had been struggling with her mental health and took an overdose in October 2020.

She told the inquest: "Always happy and lively, you always knew when she was in the house, always making a noise."

Amy had disappeared from her home in Derbyshire (Google Maps)

Recalling the overdosing incident in 2020, Mrs Hall said: "A friend rang us to say she was in the bathroom being sick but she wouldn't let me in so I kicked the door in, the lock flew across the room and she was at the toilet being sick."

After making a recovery in hospital, Amy was referred to the Children's Mental Health Service but "found it difficult to open up about her feelings", said her mum.

Mrs Hall added: "She apologised [to her parents] about overdosing saying she didn't want to die and didn't know why she did it."

In April last year, Amy was again found in the bathroom having taken an overdose, but this time it was by her dad Gareth Hall.

Mrs Hall told the inquest she thought this was a "call for help", and Amy had told her friend, Edith, that she was doing it, giving her parents enough time to save her.

Amy returned to college for her final year but wasn't herself, Mrs Hall said.

She continued: "She wanted to quit psychology, I don't think she wanted to go back at all. If I had known I would've let her leave college, I wanted her to stay but if I'd have known I would've let her leave."

She was reported missing by her mum in September last year (Google Maps)

On September 9 last year, Amy returned home after being with friends the day before, leaving for work the next morning but complaining of stomach pains.

When Amy came back from work she went to her room.

Mrs Hall then went to pick up her son from nursery, asking Amy if she wanted to go with her. But her daughter declined because she was already in bed and wasn't dressed to go out.

"When I got back she was gone" Mrs Hall told the inquest.

"I rang her friends, my husband and my parents to look after Tom [her young son] and I went down the trail [Sett Valley Trail] to look for her. She's been there before when she broke up with her boyfriend and I found her crying but didn't find her this time."

After ringing Derbyshire police, a missing person search was launched before Amy's body was discovered on September 11.

Mrs Hall said: "I don't think she went out to kill herself, I think she wanted to get her boyfriend to go to her."

Amy and her boyfriend had split up three days earlier, on September 8.

"She just wanted out of that headspace she was in too much pain, she just went too far, she hated upsetting us."

Assistant Coroner, Sarah Huntbach, agreed that Amy didn't intend to take her own life and concluded that her death had come as a result of misadventure.

A festival is being planned at the Old School Field in Hayfield on August 6 to remember Amy on what would have been her 18th birthday.

Mrs Hall said: "My son is in a band and they'll be doing three songs, my husband will also be performing three songs and then the family will sing a special Pink Floyd song before singing Happy Birthday to Amy and releasing 18 white doves into the air."

All money raised from the event will be donated to the charities Young Minds, Kinder Mountain Rescue Team and Glossop Mountain Rescue Team.

Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.

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