Coroner rules Lymington mother and daughter died by suicide
An inquest has heard how Suzan Mahmoud and Davina Allen died following the suicide of another sibling
Last updated 10th Apr 2025
A mother and her daughter took their own lives together following the suicide of another sibling, an inquest has heard.
The bodies of Suzan Mahmoud, 42, and 17-year-old Davina Allen were found by sister Laura and a family friend at their home in Lymington, Hampshire, on December 29, 2022.
The Winchester inquest heard that toxicology tests carried out as part of a post-mortem examination found that both mother - who came to the UK from Kirkuk, Iraq, as an asylum seeker about 25 years ago - and daughter died after taking a "cocktail of drugs".
In a statement read to the court, Laura Allen, a video content editor, said she had an argument with her mother on December 24 about her "life choices" and had gone away to stay in London with her boyfriend.
She said that by December 29 she had become concerned for her mother and sister after being contacted by a family friend and because they did not reply to messages.
Ms Allen said she met the friend at the house who was able to climb through a window before letting her in. She then found her mother and sister dead in the bedroom.
Ms Allen said her mother and sister had been "devastated" at the death of her brother, Harvey, who had died in the previous August.
She said of her mother: "She was really upset about everything that happened to my brother, he committed suicide, he was autistic and had lots of mental health issues.
"This had a big impact on my mum, my mum was devastated at what happened, she said she couldn't live without him since he died.
"It had the same impact on my sister as they were only one year apart and they did everything together."
Detective Sergeant Simon Yearsley, of Hampshire Constabulary, told the hearing there were no suspicious circumstances and no signs of third party involvement.
He also said that notes detailing the drugs taken were later found in the house and that there were possible links to online suicide forums.
Coroner Sarah Whitby said a note left by Davina stated that she had made a decision to kill herself and added that "she indicated significant sadness about her brother and significant anger about her life".
She said that a note from Ms Mahmoud also expressed "deep distress" about the death of her son.
Ms Whitby said: "I think it's likely they died on Christmas Day because it was Suzan Mahmoud's birthday, but I have nothing more than that to determine it."
Recording verdicts of suicide for both mother and daughter, she said: "The notes are very sad for anyone to read but they are clear that a 17-year-old and her mother have decided to take their own lives."
She added that they both had a "deep unhappiness" from the death of Harvey.
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