Two sweethearts killed themselves within a fortnight of each other in a 'Romeo and Juliet' style tragedy, an inquest has heard.
The 24 yr old woman, Victoria Donovan, commited suicide when she learnt that her ex-boyfriend whom she jilted earlier after a seven years relationship had hanged himself on a tree.
Builder Raymond Oswell 31, was found hanged from a tree after girlfriend Victoria Donovan, 24, ended their seven-year romance and started dating someone else.
Miss Donovan was so devastated by her ex-lover's death she hanged herself from the same branch of the tree just two weeks later, Manchester Coroner's Court was told.
She left a suicide note on the ground reading 'Together forever. I love you Ray' and in the run up to her death would lie in her bed surrounded by his photos.
The couple left their two children, a son aged six and a daughter aged five, along with Victoria's eight-year-old son from a previous relationship.
Details of the double tragedy emerged at an inquests into the couple's deaths.
Their families wept as Manchester Coroner Nigel Meadows recorded suicide verdicts and said: 'This is almost representative of a very famous play by Shakespeare called Romeo and Juliet - it could be the modern equivalent.
Victoria was so very traumatised by Ray's death she wanted to take her own life despite the fact that she would be leaving her children and family behind. There's a similar consideration for Ray as well.'
He added: 'Victoria had been in a relationship with Ray, it had its ups and downs and they had separated. But both still cared for one another.
'Very sadly he understood she had a new relationship but it was not from her perspective any enduring relationship. She wrote two notes one was a declaration of love for Ray and the other a note of guilt and regret. This is a very sad set of circumstances for both Victoria and Raymond and their families.'
The inquest heard couple, from Wythenshawe, Manchester met in 2005 when Miss Donovan was 17 and Mr Oswell was 24. They set up home together and had two children but split up in March last year and he moved out.
It was said Mr Oswell then discovered his ex partner had started seeing someone else after a friend spotted messages posted on Facebook.
He was found dead by his sisters on June 21 last year hanging from a tree in an area known as Little Wood.
Mr Meadows said the tree later became a 'mini shrine' to Mr Oswell, and Miss Donovan would frequently visit to lay flowers, photographs and notes. It was heard that she was offered counselling over Mr Oswell's death but her family feared she was unable to cope with the guilt.
Her mother Paula Donovan, 43, told the inquest: 'When Ray was found dead Victoria was distraught.
'She would go to the tree and I would try and take her away, but she would not stay away. She just never stopped crying, she blamed herself for what had happened to Ray and felt responsible.
'She said she wouldn't do anything to herself because of the kids but I felt it inside. I worried about her she was always lay on her bed with Ray's pictures around her.'
The night before her death Miss Donovan went out with Michael Pollitt, the father of her eldest son.
The pair went for a drinks and to catch up with Victoria staying at Mr Pollitt's house before catching the bus home the next morning, it was said.
He walked Miss Donovan to her bus around 7am and while she was on the bus she text him to say what a nice time she had.
The inquest heard she text him twice, the first saying how lovely it had been to see him and that she wished they had more time together and the second, which Mr Pollitt did not see until after he received the news of her death asking him to look after their son.
Mr Pollitt said: 'She had been fine, she was bubbly, laughing and talking. I didn't think anything was wrong.'
Miss Donovan was found hanging in the same secluded woodlands as her ex partner by a group of young boys.
Paramedics called to the scene were unable to save her.
Later her house was searched and several notes to her brothers, sisters, mother and father and children were found in a wardrobe.
Her sister, Simone Kish-Donovan, 29, told the inquest: 'Victoria and Raymond really were truly in love. They had been in love with each other for seven years and were always so close.
'You have never met parents like them - they were never away from the kids and would try and bring all the family together by cooking meals. Just from one mistake, two families have been ripped to pieces.'
'She just never stopped crying. She blamed herself for what happened to Ray.'
On her Facebook page Miss Donovan described herself as a 'very proud mummy' She added: 'My amazing children are my motivation there is no greater joy in life than seeing smiles on my kids faces and loads of kissies and cuddles.'
The family declined to speak after the inquest.
Culled from DAILY MAIL
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