A domestic violence victim died in a Truro park after a call for help went wrong, an inquest has heard.
Tracy Starling-Rutter, 36, was found in the park at Furniss Island, next to Morlaix Avenue just off the city centre, in the early hours of March 11, 2017.
Police arrived at the park near the subway under Morlaix Avenue following a call from the concerned sister of the married mum.
She was not breathing and officers administered CPR until paramedics got there. She was pronounced dead in hospital the following day.
An inquest held at Truro Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (June 20) heard how Tracy, from Truro, suffered both physical and emotional abuse from her husband Daniel ‘Danny’ Rutter which exacerbated her existing mental health issues.
The inquest opened with the evidence of Tracy’s GP, Dr Patrick Black, who highlighted that she had sought help for depression and anxiety related conditions and been referred to the mental health services.
Tracy’s mother Susan Pearce was next to give evidence. She said: “Tracy suffered mental health issues such as depression but was very good at hiding stuff. It had become more prominent since she got with her husband who she had been with for four years.
“I’m aware Tracy made threats to take her life and on more than one occasion she took an overdose. On another occasion she went over a bridge and her friends got her out as Danny waved her goodbye.
“She did these things to get his attention and I’m convinced that had he gone to talk to her that night this wouldn’t have happened. Danny wasn’t a good influence. He bullied Tracy and she became sad. He was very possessive and always put her down.”
She added: “As far as I’m concerned she didn’t mean to take her own life. It was his fault she died and if he didn’t act the way he did she wouldn’t have taken her own life. I suspect it was him stopping her from going to some of her appointments.”
Jane Boydell, a consultant psychiatrist, told the hearing how Tracy had been referred to the Cornwall mental health services due to her emotional instability, something she said could be exacerbated by a violent or turbulent relationship.
Dr Boydell added that people in Tracy’s situation take small overdoses or carry out other dramatic acts as a way of communicating their feelings. She concluded by saying that Tracy was discharged from the system after she failed to stay in touch.
Tracy’s sister Sarah found her sister in Furniss Island.
During her evidence she described how she, Tracy, Danny and Danielle Jeffery had been in Helston eating at Boo Koos on the night Tracy died.
She said that the four returned to Truro and went to the Barley Sheaf for some drinks.
She said: “Tracy and Danny were fine at first but when we were playing pool there were some young people at the table and Danny got jealous because there were young lads flirting with Tracy.
“We went to find another pub but they were all closed and when we got to Furniss Island there was an argument between Danny and Tracy.”
Sarah recalled how Danny then ran off with the keys to Tracy’s flat and, under instruction, she pursued him to get them off him.
“When I caught up with him he was kicking in the bottom of the door,” Sarah added.
“We ended up having a fight before he ran off towards his mum’s. I let him go and the police came. Then I received texts from Tracy but didn’t read them until I got a phone call asking me to come and help her because she was hanging from a tree in Furniss Island.
“I ran straight to the park and got there as police were trying to resuscitate her.”
Sarah went on to describe how the bridge incident and overdoses were because she was depressed and “a cry for attention”.
Danny didn’t attend the hearing but a statement was read to the court on his behalf in which he said he remembered little of the night and didn’t recall any arguments.
The statement read: "I had quite a bit to drink over the evening and can't remember a thing. I remember talking to Sarah and the next thing waking up in my mum's front room. We were having a great evening from what I could remember and I can't recall an argument.
"Tracy always said her greatest fear was me leaving her and I'd never have done that."
Talking through the texts Tracy sent to Sarah, Detective Constable Andrew Brocklehurst explained how she wrote that she “couldn’t do it anymore”, was sorry and didn’t “want to hurt anybody”.
One text in particular was said to have said “tell Danny I’m sorry, he treats me like shit then runs away. I can’t take this anymore”. One final message sent to Sarah simply said “help”.
Concluding the inquest, acting senior coroner for Cornwall Andrew Cox said: “Tracy was a complex individual with lots of needs and vulnerabilities. In her case there was an element of mental illness, an element of substance misuse and an element of physical abuse as well.
“She had some contact with the mental health services and her family feels there was sufficient help from them but there were barriers that got in the way of effective support and treatment.
“The system is such that when a person doesn’t turn up to appointments they get letters sent asking if they wish to remain in treatment. If there’s no reply they are discharged from the workload. The workload of the mental health services in Cornwall is huge and they are stretched. That is no secret.
“The difficult part is when a person doesn’t engage because of controlling or coercive behaviour. I suspect that was the case here.”
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“I don’t believe Tracy meant to do this and regard it as a cry for help in an effort to reach out and articulate her distress and difficulties in life.
“I think she was meant to be found and helped but tragically this was not possible. It was a deliberate act but she did not intend the outcome that resulted.”
Mr Cox said that although the circumstances were terribly sad, he was pleased to hear of improvements made to Safer Cornwall’s Domestic Homicide Review process following Tracy’s death.
He added: “I’m pleased with the work carried out and steps taken to prevent similar sorts of fatalities taking place.
“If that is Tracy’s legacy then at least some good has come from this for people like her. I hope it will be some small consolation.”
Mr Cox recorded a conclusion of accidental death.
He went on to pass on his sincerest condolences to Tracy’s family. Tracy’s mum Susan politely declined the invitation to speak to Cornwall Live following the inquest.
