Fleetwood girl '˜with a heart of pure gold' took fatal overdose in desperate cry for help

A teenage girl told her mum 'I'm so lonely, no one likes me' after taking a fatal overdose in a desperate cry for help.
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Morgan Murray, 17, (pictured) died on July 22 of bronchial pneumonia caused by brain damage due to an overdose of prescribed anti-depressants and beta blocker tablets, which she had taken at her home five days earlier.

She was described by her family as ‘a quiet and shy girl with a heart of pure gold’.

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At her inquest at Blackpool Town Hall, coroner Alan Wilson heard how she had suffered from depression and anxiety from an early age and had a history of self harm.

Morgan MurrayMorgan Murray
Morgan Murray

Tragically, her 55-year-old mother, Susan Murray, is also feared to have taken her own life following the death of her daughter, the inquest heard.

Her body was found on September 3, with envelopes containing letters about Morgan found close by.

At the inquest, the court heard how, on the day of her overdose, Morgan had attended a work experience placement at Gee’s Tees, on Poulton Road, Fleetwood, where she had recently been offered a job.

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The former Cardinal Allen pupil arrived at her Addison Road home at around 4pm and drank some beer in the garden with Mrs Murray, and appeared to be in good spirits.

However, she later became upset as she believed other children at the Princes Trust, which she attended, disliked her.

A statement provided to police by Mrs Murray read: “She was saying nobody likes her. I said don’t be silly, of course they do.

“She said ‘no, they’re all going out again and they haven’t asked me to go’.”

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Mrs Murray told police that she eventually left Morgan downstairs at around 10pm to go to bed, by which time her daughter was laughing and playing on her phone.

However, at around 11pm, Morgan approached her mother and told her she had taken an overdose.

She said: “I’m so lonely. No one likes me.”

She vomited, suffered seizures and began to fall unconscious.

Mrs Murray called 999 and an ambulance arrived at the scene at 11.26pm. Morgan had gone into cardiac arrest.

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Paramedics restored Morgan’s heartbeat just before midnight, and she was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital A&E, and transferred to intensive care.

But late on July 21 her condition deteriorated. A brain scan revealed she had suffered irreversible damage to her brain stem due to lack of oxygen.

She was pronounced dead at 2.50pm on July 22.

A post mortem examination found scars believed to be caused by self harm on Morgan’s arms, though these were old.

A toxicology analysis showed high levels of Fluoxetine and Propanolol in her body.

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It is believed Morgan may have exchanged text messages with a boy before taking her overdose, however, police were unable to examine her text history as her phone was protected by a PIN.

Coroner Wilson said: “I’m not satisfied that this was someone who intended to take her life. She may have been low.

“She has taken an elevated amount of medication, but not an inevitably fatal one.

“She has taken this medication in the house knowing mum is there.

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“It seems that she has voluntarily gone to mum and told her that she has taken these tablets.

“This seems to be a cry for help rather than an intention to end her life.”

Handing down a conclusion of misadventure, he added: “It seems to me that the deliberate act is that Morgan has taken more medication than she should have and the unintended consequences of that is that she has lost consciousness, she has had a limited amount of oxygen to her brain.

“ She has started the chain of events that she unfortunately has been unable to recover from. I wish to pass on my condolences to Morgan’s family, but also Morgan’s father. This is a doubly sad event, as we have heard that Morgan’s mother has sadly died since Morgan’s death was reported to our court.”

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Morgan’s cousin, Katy Heslop, said: “We are absolutely devastated to have lost our beautiful girl Morgan.

“Unfortunately due to mental health issues her cry for help went wrong.

“Words cannot describe how we all feel. It still doesn’t feel real. Morgan was a quiet and shy girl with a heart of pure gold. What she lacked in confidence she made up for with beauty and talent.

“She loved her family and her pets dearly and would’ve made an amazing vet.

“Heaven has gained a beautiful angel and we will miss Morgan everyday. Morgan will live on in our thoughts and our hearts.”

An inquest is listed for Mrs Murray on January 10.