Taverham mum Harriet Belmore declined help after son's death

Harriet Belmore died at her home in Taverham on October 31, less than a month after the body of her 17-year-old son Charlie Belmore-Hawkes was found in nearby woodland. She was 36.

Inquests were held for both family members on Thursday at which tragic details of their deaths emerged.

The court heard Miss Belmore, a laser aesthetics technician, was admitted to A&E after taking an overdose of medication and alcohol on October 7, just five days after the death of Charlie, her only child.

Staff at the hospital had initially recommended she be given a mental health assessment, but this did not take place after she told a member of the mental health liaison team she wished to be discharged.

She was then referred to the crisis team at the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, with staff visiting her at her mother's home on October 11.

However, Miss Belmore again made it clear she did not wish to receive any support. Two days later she was discharged from crisis services.

Melissa Moss, a crisis nurse from NSFT said in a statement read to the court that Miss Belmore had told the team she was "fine" and that she found offers of support "patronising".

She said she had then spoken to Frances Belmore, Miss Belmore's mother, and provided contact details for the team and other available support services.

But on October 31, Miss Belmore was found unresponsive in her home and despite receiving CPR died at the scene.

Jacqueline Lake, senior coroner for Norfolk, gave a conclusion of suicide.

She said: "She self-discharged from the hospital on October 7 and then did not engage with mental health services or her GP.

"She continued to ask how she would manage without her son - and spoke of wanting to be with him again."

Charlie Belmore-Hawkes

A separate inquest held immediately before Miss Belmore's heard that her son had been found in a wooded area off Eastfields in Taverham.

In a report provided to the court, Det Sgt Matthew Hendry said that days before his death he had been involved in an argument with his girlfriend of three years, who had told him she wanted to take a break.

Det Sgt Hendry said that Charlie's relationship had broken down following an argument after he had attended a music festival with an ex-girlfriend.

Miss Belmore told police afterwards that she had never seen him more depressed than he was following the argument.

Det Sgt Hendry said: "Both sides of his family were loving, responsible people who clearly loved him very much.

"He was clearly struggling greatly with this matter and his father and mother had not seen him this low before."

Mrs Lake gave a short narrative conclusion which stated Charlie had "taken his own life but the evidence does not reveal his intentions at the time."

Charlie was Miss Belmore's only son and had recently been taken on as an apprentice bricklayer.

His parents had separated but were on good terms.

He was the grandson of top lawyer Michael Belmore, Miss Belmore's father, who also died in tragic circumstances in 2007.

Mr Belmore, who set up Belmores Solicitors in Norwich in 1981, drowned, at the age of 53, while on holiday in Crete.

The medical cause for the deaths of both Miss Belmore and her son was given as hanging.

Do you need support? Samaritans are available 24/7 on 116 123. The NHS First Response Service can be reached 247 on 111 option 2.

Charity Norfolk and Waveney Mind offers a service called the SAIL Project, which supports people bereaved by suicide. It can be reached on 0300 330 5488​.