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

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

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

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” and became the focus of intense media attention, a social media frenzy of conspiracy theories and led to the arrival in a sleepy Lancashire village of online sleuths, influencers and psychics.

On Monday, Alison Armour, a consultant pathologist, 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 could 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.

PC Matthew Thackray, a police diver, said he believed Bulley fell into the water, describing a fairly steep and then vertical slope down to the river.

The water temperature would have been about 4C and felt more like freezing, he said. It is likely the river would have carried Bulley down river about a metre a second.

Two experts on cold water shock gave evidence. Prof Mike Tipton said it would have taken only “one or two breaths in of water to be a lethal dose”.

He added: “In my opinion, given the nature of the likely entry into the water, I would suspect Nikki had a gasp response under the water, initiating the drowning process. On the balance of probability, there was a fairly rapid incapacitation due to the cold shock.”

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

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

Bulley, who was originally from Chelmsford, Essex was living with her family in the village of Inskip, Lancashire. She 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 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, volunteer search parties, detailed examination of CCTV and searches of outbuildings, took place amid a conspiratorial social media frenzy.

When Bulley’s body was finally discovered a mile downstream from the bench where her phone was found, 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 the disclosure of 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.

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

Her family criticised 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.

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