A coroner has concluded that three sisters who drowned in the sea off Brighton after visiting the Birmingham street where their late mother lived took their own lives. Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, from west London, were pulled from the water at around 5.45am on May 13.
The tragedy unfolded less than 48 hours after they arrived at Linton Walk, near Stockland Green, late on the evening of May 11. Their mother, Janice Adetoro, who lived in the road, drowned in a lake in nearby Brookvale Park in 2010, it was previously revealed.
Timeline of events before the deaths
An inquest held on Thursday, October 8, heard the sisters took a taxi to Birmingham and arrived at 11.36pm on May 11. They stayed less than two hours and were picked up to return to the flat they shared in Greenford, west London, at 1.28am on May 12.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cullimore told the hearing at Woodvale Coroner’s Court in Brighton that there was no CCTV to show what the women were doing while they were in Birmingham. On the evening of May 12, they took a pre-booked taxi to Brighton and arrived near the seafront at 10.21pm.
Recovery and inquest conclusion
The sisters were thought to have last been seen alive on CCTV from the beach at 2.42am on May 13. Ms Adetoro was brought to shore by an RNLI crew and declared dead at the scene on the morning of May 13. Christina Walters was recovered from the sea by an RNLI lifeboat, and Rebecca Walters was washed onto the shore of Brighton beach. They were also pronounced dead that morning by paramedics.
Senior coroner Penelope Schofield told the court: “On May 13, in hours of darkness, they entered the sea at Brighton, they could not swim and sea conditions were adverse.” She concluded the medical cause of death for all three women was drowning and they died by suicide.
Support and next steps
Samaritans can be contacted for free, day or night, 365 days a year, on 116 123, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch. The coroner’s ruling brings a formal conclusion to the investigation into the deaths, with the focus now on the family’s grieving process and the ongoing support available to those affected by the tragedy.
