A LEADING scientist jumped around 200ft to her death from cliffs at a beauty spot, an inquest heard.
Sally Banham, 39, from Winchester, was found in the sea at Chapman’s Pool along the Jurassic Coast in Dorset.
A post-mortem examination showed she had died of multiple injuries consistent with a fall from a height.
Miss Banham, an assistant director at the British Marine Federation, had struggled to cope with guilt and grief following her father’s death from cancer in April 1999, Bournemouth, Poole and East Dorset Coroner’s Court heard.
Pain from a knee injury also meant the keen sportswoman could not enjoy her hobbies of sailing, windsurfing, climbing and walking.
Her relationship broke down and she moved in to her mother’s house in Romsey to take up a new job in Cadnam, the court heard.
Miss Banham, who previously worked for Associated British Ports, became unable to cope after her mother repeatedly tried to kill herself and was later diagnosed with dementia.
The Cambridge University graduate then became depressed and tried to kill herself after drinking alcohol.
Miss Banham had also told her care worker about visiting cliffs at Swanage on one occassion but then decided not to jump.
The inquest heard how Miss Banham had been released from a psychiatric hospital for the second time on June 5 before she went missing on June 28.
Her sister Carol Banham became worried when she did not answer the phone and later found a suicide note at her house that was several pages long.
Police found Miss Banham’s car parked nearby at Durlston Head before finding her body in the sea on July 5.
Her consultant psychiatrist Jane Ferguson told the inquest in Bournemouth she was a “highly intelligent” and “driven” high-achiever who became highly anxious and suffered psychotic spells including the belief that she was the anti-Christ.
“Her personality traits which had helped her achieve so greatly academically worked against her,” she said.
Coroner Sheriff Payne recorded a suicide verdict and said: “She did go down to cliffs at Swanage and was pulled from the sea with very severe injuries consistent with a fall from a height. She left a note making it quite clear she was going to end her life.”
A fund has been set up in memory of Miss Banham. To find out more click HERE
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