Inquest hears style guru’s suicide was fourth attempt

STYLE guru Isabella Blow killed herself by taking 20 times the fatal dose of weedkiller Paraquat, a coroner ruled yesterday.

Ms Blow, the fashion director of Tatler magazine, had tried to take her own life at least three times before — by jumping off a bridge, ramming her car into a lorry and overdosing on tablets, her youngest sister Lavinia Verney told the hearing in Gloucester.

Gloucestershire coroner Alan Crickmore recorded a verdict of suicide after hearing the 48-year-old told hospital staff she wanted to die.

Ms Blow, who died at her home near Stroud, Gloucestershire, was haunted by a series of personal tragedies, including being cut out of her father’s will and witnessing the drowning of her brother when she was four.

Pathologist Professor Neil Shepherd gave the cause of death as poisoning.

Ms Blow committed suicide by drinking Paraquat knowing her father-in-law had killed himself using the same poison, the inquest heard.

Lavinia Verney, her youngest sister, said Ms Blow began suffering from depression about five or six years ago.

“She would often say she wanted to kill herself. She also took an overdose in Kuwait during Christmas 2006. Whilst there she diagnosed with a lump on her ovary. In April this year she took a turn for the worse. We were out in my Polo in Gloucester and she suddenly opened the door and ran outside, greatly endangering herself.”

After that she spent three weeks in Wotton Lawn psychiatric hospital, Gloucestershire, before being released on May 3.

On May 5 Lavinia found her at home being sick. She told her she had taken poison and was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

“She said, ‘I’m worried I haven’t taken enough’,” said Lavinia.

Pathologist Dr Neil Shepherd later confirmed she had taken more than 20 times the fatal dose.