Family is told of uncertainty over student 'suicide'

THE family of a promising student who left an "If only" message on her Facebook site hours before being found dead have been told they cannot be certain she killed herself.

Laura Gerstel, 20, from North Berwick, in East Lothian, had a history of bulimia and self harm and wrote a final note saying she was overweight and "not wishing to live this way". However, Coroner Donald Coverdale recorded an open verdict saying it was impossible to know what was going through her mind at the time.

Laura was in the third year of a biochemistry course at York University and had spent a weekend Christmas shopping with her mother Susan hours before her death and, despite her continuing problems, seemed happy and popular.

He pointed to her drinking the equivalent of five shots of whisky or two-and-a-half pints of beer and noted her father Antony had said she "became compulsive" when she drank and alcohol "made everything worse".

Mr Coverdale said: "This is a very sad story. Laura suffered from a number of medical and psychiatric difficulties and, unfortunately, had harmed herself in the past by cutting. I am not aware of any previous attempts to take her own life.

"The note she left referring to her thoughts and feelings that she was overweight connects to her psychiatric difficulties.

"The level of alcohol she consumed may well have impacted on her judgement. Because of the uncertainty I am going to record an open verdict.

"I'm afraid we shall never know what was in Laura's mind."

Laura had updated her Facebook status at 2.46am on November 26 last year to say: "Laura is thinking if only..."

At 4am, Emma Wellard was woken by the sound of another housemate screaming. She said: "I came out of my room and saw Laura suspended from a red ribbon tied to the bannister. My housemate phoned for an ambulance. I had known Laura for two years. She suffered from bulimia, took anti-depressants and did cut herself."

In a statement, Mr Gerstel revealed she started self-harming when she was 12 and developed bulimia at 16.

After the tribunal close friend Robin Corey said: "Everyone who knew her loved her. She was one of the few people it was always a pleasure to be around and talk to."

Miss Gerstel's supervisor, Dr Jim Hoggett, said after her death: "Laura was an enthusiastic and bright student who was a pleasure to teach. She was very popular with staff and her fellow students and she will be much missed."