Coroner rules three London sisters died by suicide in sea off Brighton

Coroner delivers verdict of suicide

Senior coroner Penelope Schofield concluded at Woodvale Coroner's Court that three sisters from west London died by suicide after entering the sea off Brighton on 13 May. The victims were identified as 36-year-old Jane Adetoro, 32-year-old Christina Walters, and 31-year-old Rebecca Walters. Emergency crews recovered their bodies from the water after a passerby raised the alarm near Madeira Drive. Post-mortem examinations confirmed that all three women died from drowning, with toxicology screenings detecting no traces of alcohol or drugs in their systems. Schofield noted that the sisters could not swim and walked into rough waters during the night.

Penelope Schofield summarized her findings to the court during the hearing.

On May 13, in hours of darkness, they entered the sea at Brighton, they could not swim and sea conditions were adverse.

Journey to Birmingham and Brighton

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cullimore presented evidence tracing the movements of the sisters across several cities in the days leading up to their deaths. At 11:36pm on 11 May, the trio arrived by taxi at Linton Walk in Birmingham, an area near Brookvale Park Lake where their mother drowned in 2010. Police confirmed there was no surveillance footage recording their activities during the stop in Birmingham before a taxi picked them up at 1:28am on 12 May to return to their shared flat in Greenford. Later that night, the sisters booked another taxi and arrived near the Brighton seafront at 10:21pm. Closed-circuit television footage recorded them walking along the beach near Black Rock at 2:42am on 13 May, marking their last known sighting alive.

Evidence of preparation and seclusion

Investigators established that the sisters carried out extensive preparations before leaving their home in Greenford, west London. Police found that the women had cleaned their flat, settled outstanding debts, and emptied their bank accounts before making the trip to Sussex. Digital examinations revealed that Christina Walters, who had suffered from anxiety and depression following the loss of her mother, conducted internet searches for suicide methods and nearby bodies of water. Neighbours described the household as highly private, noting that the sisters led a secluded lifestyle and had their groceries delivered to their home each week. Professional records showed Jane worked as an accountant and assumed maternal responsibilities within the home, Christina had graduated from Brunel University and also worked in accounting, and Rebecca worked in human resources.

Recovery and family response

The emergency response began at approximately 5:45am on 13 May when a member of the public spotted a body drifting in the water near Brighton. Volunteer crews from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution launched lifeboats, retrieving Jane Adetoro and bringing her to shore, while a second lifeboat recovered Christina Walters from the sea. Rebecca Walters washed ashore onto the shingle beach, and paramedics pronounced all three sisters dead at the scene. Their father, Joseph Jacobsen, followed the inquest proceedings by video link. In a formal statement released following the hearing, he expressed deep sorrow over losing his three daughters and stated that he holds onto the memories shared with them.