A depressed mother who took her own life by jumping off a bridge over the M25 had been let out of hospital to spend Christmas with her family, an inquest heard.

Janet Catsaras, 64, did not hesitate when she jumped off the bridge in Leatherhead on December 23 last year, the hearing was told.

Coroner Michael Burgess said she was hit by a number of vehicles as she fell into a lane of heavy traffic.

The mother of two, from Ashtead, had been treated in hospital for depression following the break down of her marriage, the death of her ex-husband and financial pressures.

She was let out of hospital for a short period of time to spend Christmas with her family.

Mr Burgess said there was no indication she was considering taking her life. She spoke about her fear of returning home but talked about going back to the hospital after Christmas.

Mr Burgess said: “She lulled them [her family] into a false sense of security so they felt free to leave her and it was while her daughter was out doing some shopping that her mother slipped out of the house and fell to her death.”

Her daughter returned home to find the house empty and note from her mother.

She immediately reported her missing.

Surrey police collision investigator officer Christopher Annetts told the court Mrs Catsaras did not live far from the Leatherhead Road Bridge where she took her life.

He said CCTV footage shows her approaching the bridge, climbing over the pedestrian grid rail and falling into the traffic.

“She did not hesitate or seem to consider her actions.”

Mr Burgess said Mrs Catsaras had been married for 30 years and moved to Qatar with her husband when he lost his job in 1987.

He worked as a marine engineer in the country.

Reading from a report by Mrs Catsaras’s son, he said: “Mrs Catsaras found living out there quite difficult, she returned to England and there was a separation and a divorce.”

He said the separation had been amicable with no lawyers involved.

However, tragically, before the divorce was finalised, Mr Catsaras was killed in a car accident in Qatar.

He did not have time to arrange their pensions and Mrs Catsaras suffered financial difficulties.

The stress of the situation lead to her mental and emotional collapse.

She was admitted to hospital early in 2008. Mr Burgess said her psychiatrist recorded in July “that she wished she had killed herself” to escape “this endless time of pain”.

Mr Burgess said he was satisfied she had died from injuries sustained by jumping off the bridge.

“At the time of her death she was suffering from depression, she took her own life while suffering from her condition. ”

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