13 March 2023 , 13:09
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A young couple found hanged on the same tree branch lived, died and were buried together, one of their heartbroken mothers told an inquest.
The bodies of Charlie Eccleston, 19, and Zaiga Gravenieks, 20, were found by a police dog in a secluded part of a wood at Shenley in Hertfordshire on the morning of November 5, 2017.
The pair, who had been missing since Halloween, had been tracked to the area by Zaiga’s mobile phone, the hearing at Hatfield heard.
Messages had been spray painted on a symbol on the tree.
A taxi had dropped them off near the woodland.
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The two were found hanging from a tree (Police Handout)
The young couple had asked to be buried together (Police Handout)Post-mortem examinations found they died from asphyxia, while cocaine and cannabis traces were in their bodies.
In a statement read to the senior Hertfordshire coroner Geoffrey Sullivan, Charlie’s mother Jo said: “They lived together, died together and at their request were buried together.”
She said Charlie, from Borehamwood, had struggled with his mental health from the age of 12. He had shown signs of psychosis and experienced voices telling him to kill himself.
He was a talented musician who sang and played guitars in a metal band called Desert Smoker.
Their bodies were found in woods (Google Maps)Ms Eccleston said: “Although he had no love for himself he adored Zaige. Zaige was a talented artist. She dreamt of being a tattoo artist. She was stunning beautiful. You could always seen her love for Charlie.”
Zaiga, from Harpenden, had been diagnosed with anorexia and Asperger’s, her mother Ausma said in a statement. She had been studying music at Bedford college but became too unwell to continue.
She said: “She and Charlie were deeply in love.”
Evidence from Professor Hilary McCallion, who examined the way the couple were treated by mental health professionals, is due to be heard tomorrow.
The inquest continues and is expected to last three days.
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