London riots: Hackney woman hanged herself after Enfield shop fire and lost job
A depressed woman hanged herself weeks after being made jobless when her workplace was burned down in last summer’s riots, an inquest heard.
Rita Baronoene, 43, of Halidon Close, Homerton, had worked as a packer at the SonyCentre distribution warehouse in Enfield.
It was razed to the ground during the widespread disturbances similar to those experienced in Hackney.
Her partner Roberto De Silva, found her hanged with a washing line in the bedroom of their house in October.
At the inquest at Poplar Coroner’s Court on Tuesday he blamed the riots for contributing to her taking her own life.
She had been on annual leave visiting family in her native Lithuania when the riots happened,
On her return she had insisted on seeing the fire-damaged shell of the shop. Mr De Silva, a landscape gardener for Hackney Homes, accompanied her.
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He said losing the job she took pride in led her to become more depressed and worried about her future.
He said: “It [the shop] was all burnt out, she was in tears straight away. She said, ‘I’ve no future; no life’.
“She just kept on and on about it and said, ‘I’ve got no future and no life.’”
He said she began drinking heavily.
The court heard how she was already “emotionally vulnerable”, having escaped a violent ex-partner and coping with the death of her mother and sister.
Ten days before her death she left a note telling Mr De Silva he could have everything she owned and tried to drown herself in the sea at Brighton - but was rescued by police.
Coroner Gail Elliman said she was sure she had intended to take her own life adding: “She took the action of hanging herself.“I’m certain she did so because she was suffering from depression and emotional problems and she may not have done so had she not been suffering.”
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