A WOMAN described as "absolutely lovely" drowned after she entered East Float dock, an inquest has heard.

Judith Tynan's disappearance earlier this year sparked a huge police search and numerous appeals to the public to help find her whereabouts after she was last seen in Birkenhead on the evening of Saturday, March 9. 

Sadly, on Tuesday, March 12, her body was discovered in the water close to her home at East Float, Dock Road, Birkenhead. 

An inquest held at Gerard Majella Courthouse in Liverpool heard that Ms Tynan, 63, was a clerical worker who lived alone in an apartment at East Float.

She was described as having issues with anxiety, depression and alcoholism. 

The inquest heard that on Monday, March 11, Ms Tynan was supposed to meet her ex-boyfriend Steve Lindsey for lunch but did not show up.

Mr Lindsey later found her apartment had been left insecure and her car was parked outside. 

A suicide note was found inside the apartment.

After studying CCTV footage, police officers saw Ms Tynan leaving her apartment and entering a stairwell that led to the dock at around 4.20am on Saturday, March 10.

Officers described her as a "high-risk missing person" and a search began.

On Tuesday, March 12 a member of the public spotted a body floating in the water at East Float, close to Duke Street, which was recovered by Merseyside Fire and Rescue and later identified as Ms Tynan. 

A post mortem found that that were no drugs in Ms Tynan's system and a level of alcohol described by Area Coroner Anita Bhardwaj as around one and a half times over the drink drive limit. 

The cause of death was given as drowning. 

Ms Bhardwaj added that "a number of hand-written notes" were found "suggesting she was going to take her own life".

Ms Bhardwaj added that Ms Tynan had made comments before about wanting to end her life by entering the dock.

Speaking at the inquest, Mr Lindsey, said: "When she wasn't drinking she was absolutely lovely, sweet and very likeable. 

"Drinking would feed her depression and she would get very angry."

He said Ms Tynan had "struggled over decades with alcoholism on and off."

He added: "She did acknowledge in the last few months that she had a problem and said she would deal with it but she didn't."

Reaching a conclusion of death by suicide, Ms Bhardwaj, said the notes left by Ms Tynan, "clearly suggested that she wanted to take her own life."

"She was clearly troubled with her illness," added the coroner, who offered her sympathies to Ms Tynan's family and friends. 

"It must be difficult when someone is something with alcohol and then something else without it." 

 

Samaritans is available round the clock, every single day of the year, providing a safe place to talk for anyone who is struggling to cope.

Call 116 123 (this number is free to call and will not appear on your phone bill), 01204 521200 or email jo@samaritans.org.