A CARE home assistant whose body was found at Mudeford Quay on Christmas Eve had intended to end her life, an inquest has heard.

Sarah Louise Moore, aged 54, had been reported missing from her Fairmile Road home, Christchurch, thirteen days earlier, on December 11, last year.

Yesterday, at Dorset Coroner's Court, Bournemouth Town Hall, an inquest hearing took place to determine the circumstances surrounding her death.

Coroner Brendan Allen read from statements submitted from family, police and medical professionals.

The hearing heard that Ms Moore, who lived with her daughter, Francesca Leach, had been in a relationship for 12 months – but on the night she disappeared her partner had said he no longer wanted the relationship to continue.

Her daughter's statement read: "I believe this triggered my mum to go off and take her own life, as her whole life was centred around him.

"I believe she sent him a final text message hoping he would reply, but he did not reply until the next day."

When Ms Moore's partner received the text message, which said goodbye and asked him to take care of her daughter and her dog, he rushed to the Fairmile Road address.

A brief search found no sign of Ms Moore, but uncovered her mobile phone and a written note of its pass code.

Police were called and a search operation was launched, but it wasn't until Christmas Eve that her body was discovered in the water at Mudeford Quay.

A subsequent post mortem examination confirmed cause of death as immersion in water, with codeine toxicity as a contributing factor.

Recording a conclusion of suicide, Mr Allen said: "I'm satisfied on the basis of the evidence available to me that Sarah Louise Moore left her home address on the evening of December 10th with the intention of ending her life.

"She had sent a message to her partner, and her relationship appears to have ended at that time.

"Shortly before leaving her home address she had left her phone at her home address with the pin code in order that it could be accessed."

Mr Allen also said that inquiries into her online search history indicated she'd researched drowning and death by drowning.

Referring to evidence subsequently gathered by police from the night she disappeared, Mr Allen said: "CCTV evidence shows a lone figure walking towards the River Avon and Ms Moore's daughter has seen that footage and been able to positively identify that as her mother."

If you have been affected by any issues raised in this article, contact the Samaritans’ helpline number on 116 123.