Mum 'vindicated' by inquest

THE mum of a young woman who was found dead alongside her boyfriend in a car following a police pursuit has spoken of her heartbreak and how the family's 'lives are shattered without her.

- by CHRIS MCGLASSON, JAMES HOLT

Ryan Duffy, 24, and 20-year Ellie Marsden, both from Wigan, were found dead inside a Citroen Berlingo at around 7.30am on September 5, 2021. They had been on a holiday away when their vehicle left a country lane in darkness before hitting a tree several miles from the village of Kings Meaburn, near Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria.

An inquest found on Tuesday (March 18) that a police officer's late-night pursuit of their van contributed to the crash which claimed both of their lives.

In a heartbreaking statement, Kelly Kennedy, Ellie's mum, said: “We would like to thank the Coroner and the jury for their thorough and detailed approach. The conclusions they have reached have vindicated all that I have been fighting for over the last three and a half years. The officer’s pursuit of Ryan out of Appleby was a significant contributory factor in my daughter's death.