Nicola Bulley died from drowning with no evidence of assault, inquest told | UK news

Nicola Bulley died from drowning with no evidence that she was harmed or had alcohol in her bloodstream, a consultant pathologist has told an inquest.

The inquest into the death of the 45-year-old mortgage broker opened in Preston, Lancashire, on Monday.

Bulley vanished on 27 January. Her body was found on 19 February, about a mile from where she was first reported as missing.

The intervening three-week police search was unlike any other UK missing person investigation anyone could recall. It has been described as “a carnival of hysteria” that included intense media attention, a social media frenzy of conspiracy theories and the arrival in a sleepy Lancashire village of online sleuths, influencers and psychics.

On Monday, the consultant pathologist Alison Armour said all the evidence suggested Bulley died as a result of drowning.

Her forehead was caked in mud, Armour said, and dirt found in her body was among “typical features we see in cases of drowning”. Her lungs were enlarged and watery fluid was found in her body.

Tiny traces of alcohol were found but they can be explained by a postmortem process involving bacteria, she said.

The coroner asked: “At the time of her death she essentially had no alcohol in her bloodstream?” Armour replied: “That’s my opinion.”

Armour was asked if there was evidence Bulley had been assaulted or if there was any third-party involvement. She replied no.

Adeley opened the inquest by expressing his condolences to Bulley’s family. He said the inquest would not be looking into the police response to her death or concerns over social media.

Extra security is in place due to the social media interest in the case, the coroner said.

Bulley, originally from Chelmsford, Essex, and living with her family in the village of Inskip, Lancashire, disappeared after dropping off her daughters, aged six and nine, at school.

She then took her springer spaniel, Willow, on what was their usual dog walking route along the River Wyre in the village of St Michael’s on the Wyre.

Her phone, still connected to a Teams work call, was discovered on a bench overlooking the water.

Bulley was categorised as a high-risk missing person and a major police search operation was launched.

Police theorised that Bulley fell in the river because of an issue with her dog, a theory rejected by her family who called in private underwater search specialists to help in the search. They found nothing.

The huge police search involving drones and helicopters, the door knocking, the volunteer search parties, the detailed examination of CCTV and searches of outbuildings were all taking place amid a conspiratorial social media frenzy.

When Bulley’s body was finally discovered just a mile downstream from the bench, the police and media faced criticism.

During the search Paul Ansell, her partner of 12 years, gave TV interviews appealing for help – saying their daughters wanted their mother home.

As the days passed and speculation continued online, Lancashire police revealed Bulley had struggled with alcohol and perimenopause.

This prompted widespread criticism for disclosing her personal information, with the home secretary, Suella Braverman, and the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, questioned about the police approach and the force facing investigation. Commentators and campaigners accused police of sexism.

An independent review of Lancashire police’s handling of the case is under way by the College of Policing, ordered by Lancashire’s police and crime commissioner, Andrew Snowden.

Part of the review will include inquiries made by the Information Commissioner’s Office over the force’s disclosure of personal information.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct also looked at a welfare check on Bulley carried out by police 17 days before she went missing.

The media watchdog Ofcom is also in contact with ITV and Sky after they were directly criticised by Bulley’s family.

Her family excoriated the media and the sections of the public who had accused Bulley’s partner of wrongdoing and “misquoted and vilified” friends and family.

“This is absolutely appalling, they have to be held accountable, this cannot happen to another family,” they said.

The inquest, expected to last two days, is taking place in the Victorian council chamber of County Hall in Preston, before James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire.

Bulley’s partner, Ansell, and sister Louise Cunningham are expected to give witness evidence on Tuesday.