SKYDIVER TOOK OWN LIFE HOURS AFTER BREAK-UP

Coroner: Jade, 32, did not deploy her chutes

- BY JEREMY ARMSTRONG

A SKYDIVER deliberately jumped to her death from 15,500ft hours after splitting from her boyfriend, an inquest heard yesterday.

A coroner recorded a verdict of suicide after it was explained how Jade Damarell, 32, plummeted on to farmland after failing to activate her main or backup parachutes.

Her ex-boyfriend Ben Goodfellow, 26, confirmed that they had ended their relationship the night before.

Hong Kong-born Jade, a marketing manager, was an experienced skydiver who had done more than 500 jumps, including six the previous day.

Her descent - at Shotton Colliery in County Durham - would have taken 60 seconds and she died from multiple injuries, the hearing in Crook was told.

Assistant coroner Dr Leslie Hamilton read a brief statement which told how Jade and Ben had met through their mutual love of skydiving. She had not been wearing a helmet camera and left notes to her family on her phone.