before going to a rock in Dartmoor and plunging 100ft to her death - with her five year
old son on her back. Read the full story from the Mirror below...
A coroner has ruled that Kat, as she was known, killed herself but unlawfully
Katherine Hooper and five-year-old son Joshua Patterson were killed
when they fell between 80-100 feet from Lowman Tor at Haytor Rock on Dartmoor last July.
When police later went to her family home in Paignton, Devon, they discovered her youngest son Sam dead in a double bed.
An inquest at Torquay, Devon, heard that a suicide note was found by police hidden within a book on a shelf at her home. It was not dated but detectives believe it was written a couple of weeks before the tragic triple deaths.
killed Joshua. He returned an open verdict on toddler Sam.
The hearing was told after a Dutch holidaymaker sent police a photo which
The hearing was told after a Dutch holidaymaker sent police a photo which
showed Kat and Joshua on the rock in the moments before they fell to their deaths.
And other foreign and local people saw the death fall and had witnessed
And other foreign and local people saw the death fall and had witnessed
Kat moving closer to the edge of the drop from the granite rock with
Joshua having a ‘piggy back’ ride on his 24 year old mum’s back.
Kat and Joshua both died from multiple injuries, suffering head and
Kat and Joshua both died from multiple injuries, suffering head and
neck wounds which rendered them unconscious before they died.
But a pathologist was unable to ascertain what killed Sam.
The South Devon coroner Ian Arrow said: "I am not certain that I can record
But a pathologist was unable to ascertain what killed Sam.
The South Devon coroner Ian Arrow said: "I am not certain that I can record
drowning as his medical cause of death.”
Mr Arrow said Sam ‘probably died well before’ the day his mum and
Mr Arrow said Sam ‘probably died well before’ the day his mum and
older brother fell to their deaths and he said Kat and Joshua
had left their home ‘in a hurry’ after he died.
A Home Office forensic pathologist Dr Russell Delaney said Sam’s
A Home Office forensic pathologist Dr Russell Delaney said Sam’s
death was ‘suggestive of drowning but not diagnostic’.
He said there was no evidence that Sam had been smothered
He said there was no evidence that Sam had been smothered
but a bath half full of water was found by police.
Detective Sergeant Andy James, from the Major Crime Investigation Team, said on Friday, July 12th, police received reports from members of the public of two lifeless bodies being found at the bottom of Lowman Tor near Bovey Tracey, Devon.
He said people climbing on the famous Haytor Rock saw a woman with
He said people climbing on the famous Haytor Rock saw a woman with
a young child which was not that unusual.
But he told the inquest: ”They seemed to be precariously close to the edge of the rock.”
He said one witness looked at them but felt they were intruding and although
But he told the inquest: ”They seemed to be precariously close to the edge of the rock.”
He said one witness looked at them but felt they were intruding and although
unnerved by the situation they ‘let them be’.
A German holidaymaker said Joshua was ‘on the back piggy back style
A German holidaymaker said Joshua was ‘on the back piggy back style
walking slowly to the edge’ before sitting down.
They did not intervene because no one appreciated what was going to happen,
They did not intervene because no one appreciated what was going to happen,
he said.
The inquest heard from her father Peter Hooper, a Dartmoor builder,
The inquest heard from her father Peter Hooper, a Dartmoor builder,
who said in his statement that his daughter was a ‘lovely, caring person’.
He said she met 52 year old Neil Patterson when she was 17 and had the two boys with him.
He said by Christmas 2012 ‘a little bit of the spark had gone’
He said she met 52 year old Neil Patterson when she was 17 and had the two boys with him.
He said by Christmas 2012 ‘a little bit of the spark had gone’
from Kat and a week later she took an overdose of pills and went missing.
The two boys were taken into care and were returned to her two weeks later.
The two boys were taken into care and were returned to her two weeks later.
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