Australian bridge fatal 'jump'

Rhian Phillips was a trained nanny and carer for disabled people

An inquest has heard there is insufficient evidence to conclude that a woman who "jumped" from a bridge in Australia had intended to kill herself.

Rhian Phillips, 22, a nanny from Wrexham, drowned in the Brisbane river after falling 30m from Story Bridge.

A Flint inquest heard she had just argued with her French boyfriend Pierre Moureau and ran to the bridge railings.

But he told the coroner she had been drinking and had "toppled" over. Verdict: Accidental death.

The inquest heard that Miss Phillips, a trained nanny and carer for people with disabilities, had travelled to Australia with her boyfriend to look for work.

However, their relationship had developed problems after they found it difficult to find work and accommodation.

She was crying because she did not have the money and there were problems between Pierre and her Rhian's mother Karen Phillips

On 27 April this year the pair had been to a nightclub in Brisbane and left after Mr Moureau said he was tired.

She had been drinking "a lot" of vodka and a blood test later showed she was about twice the British legal drink-drive limit.

Mr Moureau told the inquest the pair were walking home and Miss Phillips "began doing some crazy things like walking across the road without looking".

He added: "People in cars were yelling to her to get out of the road. She was saying 'I don't care any more'".

Mr Moureau said it was the first time the pair had walked across the bridge which the inquest heard was 30 metres plus high.

The inquest was told that in a statement to Australian police Mr Moureau said he told Miss Phillips on the bridge he was thinking of ending their relationship and going back to France.

'Impulse overdose'

According to police in Brisbane Mr Moureau said Miss Phillips had jumped from the bridge.

But, giving evidence in person, he said she ran to the railings, then "toppled" over, trying to grab hold of them as she did so.

Mr Moureau raised the alarm and Miss Phillips' body was later recovered.

A post mortem examination revealed she suffered some impact injuries but the cause of death was drowning.

The inquest heard Miss Phillips had taken an "impulse overdose" of paracetamol as a teenager but her family were convinced she had fully recovered and was concentrating on "living".

Her mother Karen Phillips told how she spoke to her daughter two days before her death.

She said:"She was crying because she did not have the money and there were problems between Pierre and her.

"In the last phone call she did say that Pierre wasn't talking to her."

She was clearly a young bright girl with something of a future ahead of her Deputy coroner John Gittins

She added: "I wasn't able to finish the conversation because my boss came in and told me to get off the phone."

However, Mrs Phillips said she arranged for £250 to be sent to her daughter.

In a text the following day she said her daughter seemed happy and "hopeful" that the money would help her situation.

John Gittins, deputy coroner for north east Wales, said there had been conflicting evidence.

He said that Mr Moureau's statement which indicated Miss Phillips had jumped may have been misinterpreted because Mr Moureau was a French national speaking in a second language.

He said the best available evidence was that given in court and he thanked Mr Moureau for appearing.

Recording an accidental death verdict, he said: "It would appear that in an intoxicated state Rhian has sadly gone to the railings to the side of the bridge, perhaps in an act of defiance to Mr Moureau - we don't know - but in some way she managed to fall from the bridge."

He told the family "She was clearly a young bright girl with something of a future ahead of her. I know that she will be remembered and loved by you all."