A North Yorkshire woman took her own life after a night out, an inquest heard.
Chelsea Allen, 31, was reported missing from her home in Ryegate, Helmsley, by her partner Natasha at 2.40pm on Sunday 26 June 2022.
Her disappearance sparked a huge police search. Following a report from a member of the public, a police officer discovered her body in woodland near the A170 in Helmsley on 4 July.
In a statement read out at the inquest, Det Insp Jennifer Waddington from North Yorkshire Police said that Chelsea had finished work at about 10pm on 25 June and met up with Natasha and some of their friends at The Feathers pub in the town.
Later they went to a friend’s house, and “everyone was in good spirits”.
After Chelsea and Natasha returned home, a neighbour reported a disturbance at about 2.43am. A police officer went to the house at about 3.15am in response to a noise complaint.
Natasha said that she and Chelsea had an argument, and Chelsea had then left at about 3am. “She indicated that she had gone back to her own flat.”
A major missing persons inquiry began when she couldn’t be traced the next day. A police helicopter was involved in the search, before her body was found eight days later.
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Her parents told the inquest, held at Northallerton Coroners Court: “You couldn’t meet a nicer person. She always put people before herself. She would do anything for anybody.
“As a kid growing up, she was just so happy.”
But once she had had a drink, she “turned into a different person”, they said.
Chelsea had been in the Army, and took a series of jobs after she left. She was working as a chef at the time of her death.
Chelsea was very popular, and 450 people went to her funeral.
Her parents said what she had done had come as a huge shock, adding: “We’ll never get answers”.
Assistant coroner Sarah Watson said: “The one thing I can’t give you is why – or why then. I’m sorry that I can’t.”
In her conclusion, the coroner said the cause of death was hanging.
She said she was satisfied that no one else was involved, that taking her life was a deliberate act and “this was her intention at that particular moment in time”.
She recorded a conclusion of suicide.
“That doesn’t paint the bigger picture of Chelsea,” she said, adding that she was grateful her parents had come to the inquest to reveal “what an amazing woman she was.
“She sounded wonderful.”