A tragic incident unfolded when a young mother, Kimberley McAssey, aged 29, was discovered dead in bed at her friend Ryan Sheridan's flat on Sherbourne Court in Prestwich. It was revealed during an inquest that she had been unresponsive for approximately 30 hours before emergency services were contacted.

The inquest, held at Rochdale Coroners Court on November 25, heard that on February 20, 2021, Ms McAssey and Mr Sheridan had consumed alcohol and taken MDMA (ecstasy) together. Mr Sheridan noticed at around 6am that Ms McAssey had 'gone cold' but delayed calling for help.

Mr Sheridan sent a text message to his mother, Emma Heydon, at 9.28am on February 21, saying, "I urgently need to see you". Ms Heydon arrived shortly before midday, after stopping to purchase sandwiches for her son. Only upon her return did she call 999, around 20 minutes later.

Ms Heydon provided details to the court about the events leading to the discovery of Ms McAssey. She recalled her son telling her that they had been drinking, taking drugs, and had sexual intercourse, after which he left Ms McAssey alone for some time.

During her testimony, Ms Heydon expressed regret over not calling for emergency services sooner, stating, "I wish that I had rang the police sooner. But in retrospect, I did what I thought was right at that time. But I also didn't feel like it was a real scenario."

In the recorded 999 call played in court, Ms Heydon was questioned about the possibility of Ms McAssey's death being an overdose. She confirmed this suspicion but later clarified that she had not seen evidence of such an overdose.

The court learned that prior to this incident, Mr Sheridan was under investigation for an alleged assault on another woman. When asked if this influenced her actions, Ms Heydon stated, "I just did not put two and two together."

Forensic pathologist Dr Philip Lumb reported that decomposition made it difficult to ascertain the cause of death accurately. He noted that MDMA was found in Ms McAssey's blood, which could be fatal, but the definitive cause remained 'undetermined' due to uncertainties regarding bruising found on her body.

Karrie McAssey, Kimberley's mother, shared her heartbreak in a statement during the inquest. She described her daughter as 'cheeky, funny, silly, one in a million' and highlighted Kimberley’s deep bond with her daughter, born in 2013, calling her 'Kim's whole life'.

Karrie McAssey expressed the profound impact of Kimberley’s death on their family, stating, "Kim leaving us has turned our lives upside down and has destroyed our family." Proceeding.