Nicola Bulley’s inquest hears two breaths of water would have been ‘lethal dose’
Extra security was deployed to the County Hall in Preston where the inquest into the death of Nicola Bulley has started today.
Both the partner and the sister of the mum-of-two are due to give evidence at the building in the city centre, where Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour gave the cause of death as drowning earlier this morning.
Interest into how the 45-year-old died has been so extreme that security around ithad to be ramped up to ‘ensure the safety of everyone attending the inquest’.
Additional security plans were made by police and the county council, and more officers were seen patrolling the area.
For the latest news on the Nicola Bulley inquest, follow Metro.co.uk’s live blog here
Dr James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire, warned attendees not to disrupt the proceedings after ‘unusual online commentary’ about Ms Bulley’s death.
‘If anybody has the slightest inclination or is contemplating disrupting this inquest they should be aware this may amount to contempt of court,’ he said.
The coroner added that the consequences could be ‘a significant fine or prison’.
A number of people who turned up to the inquest without registering in advance have already been refused entry.
Earlier, shortly before the hearing began, Dr Adeley addressed the social media controversy surrounding the tragedy.
He said the inquest would deal with only ‘proportionate evidence from reliable sources and not to explore theories by those who contributed to social media’.
The coroner added: ‘At the centre of this inquest are two children who have lost their mother, a partner, and parents who have lost a daughter.’
Ms Bulley disappeared after dropping her two daughters at school, then taking her usual dog walk along the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, on January 27.
It was more than three weeks later, on February 19, that her body was pulled out of the water despite extensive searches by divers.
The mystery surrounding her case sparked intense public interest as her mobile was found on a bench overlooking the water.
During the search, detectives and her family had to repeatedly ask the public to show respect after strangers tried to get too close to the investigation.
They included one ‘ghoul’ who filmed police retrieving Nicola’s body from the water and then shared it online.
Ms Bulley’s partner, Paul Ansell, her sister Louise Cunningham and parents, Ernest and Dot Bulley, sat in the public gallery listening as Dr Armour was called as the first witness to give evidence.
Summing up findings, she said: ‘I conclude the cause of death as drowning. The lungs themselves showed classical features we see in drownings.
‘In my opinion Nicola Bulley was alive when she entered the water.’
Dr Armour said the presence of water in the lungs showed swallowing the liquid was an ‘active process’ and therefore suggests Ms Bulley was alive at the time she went into the river.
Despite bruising found on her body, the pathologist stressed that there was no evidence of third-party involvement.
The inquest hearing continues.
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