An inquest was told of the tragic details that led to the death of Sheilagh Alexandra Warner, following the accident on the A5 outside Shrewsbury on May 16 this year. Shropshire assistant coroner Heath Westerman concluded that Mrs Warner, who was 61, died from injuries as a result of a fall from a moving vehicle. Mr Westerman had earlier read a moving statement from Mrs Warner's daughter, Charlotte Bourg, describing how her mother was born in Scotland in 1963 as the youngest of six children, with the family later emigrating to Durban in South Africa.
Mrs Warner was described as "having a deep Christian faith", and met her future husband, Brantford Warner, while in South Africa. The couple, who had two children, moved to Shropshire in 1987 – living in what was described as a cottage with "wonky walls" and a "leaking roof". The hearing was told Mrs Warner had worked as a secretary before going on to train as an English teacher – and was "always trying to improve herself", working at both Stoke Heath Prison, and Shrewsbury Prison before it closed.
Eventually Mrs Warner joined Adcote School as an English teacher, and was in the process of getting her masters degree. Mrs Bourg's statement described how her mother was a "proud grandmother". She "doted" on Mrs Bourg's two children, who knew Mrs Warner as 'Nonny'.
Mrs Bourg said: "Whenever there were sleepovers they would be back with the biggest smiles, because it was literally chaos and no rules existed." The inquest heard how due to a lack of money when they were younger, Mrs Warner would lovingly hand-sew 'Nike' emblems onto her son's clothes. Described as "so talented", Mrs Warner also sewed her own, and her daughter's, wedding dresses.
The hearing was told how Mrs Warner and her husband would take "any chance" to get away in their camper van on holiday – with longer vacations spent in their favourite place, France, and shorter trips taking them to destinations in the UK. The statement added that Mrs Warner was a "beautiful and vivacious person, inside and outside" who "will be missed by us all". Mr Westerman read a number of statements detailing the lead-up to the tragic events of May 16, explaining that Mr and Mrs Warner had been going away to Brighton in their Peugeot Elddis camper van, with her sister Fiona Gibson and her husband David.
The inquest heard how there had been a previous incident with the side door on the camper when Mr and Mrs Warner were returning from a trip away. On that occasion the door had flung open while they had been driving, leading to Mr Warner adding another 'hook and eyelet' mechanism to the door to prevent it opening. The coroner read from Mr Warner's statement which described how they had left their home in Shrewsbury at around 9.
20am and had just got onto the A5 eastbound when the incident happened. The hearing was told he was sitting in the front, with Mr Gibson in the passenger seat, and Mrs Gibson and Mrs Warner sitting behind. Mr Westerman explained how Mr Warner said he heard a bang, and knew that the side door, which led to the habitable area of the camper, was open.
He said he had looked into the wing-mirror and could see his wife falling onto the road. Mr Warner stopped the vehicle and immediately rang 999 while Mr and Mrs Gibson ran to provide aid to Mrs Warner. Mr Warner said he believed the accident happened as his wife checked to make sure they were safe in the vehicle.
He said: "She was a lady who double-checked everything and I am confident she got up to double-check the door when it opened and it sucked her out." Mr Westerman also read a statement from Mrs Gibson who described seeing Mrs Warner standing at the door, but said she "could not see her hands and had no idea what she was doing with them". She said: "In the next second the cabin door snapped open and she was thrown out.
" Mrs Gibson added: "I believe she was concerned because the cabin door had opened previously and she was checking to make sure we were all safe, when it flung open." Her statement also explained how moments before the incident Mrs Warner had pointed out the area where their father had died tragically in a road accident some years earlier. Mr Westerman explained how in the wake of the incident two doctors were providing aid to Mrs Warner before paramedics arrived and took over.
She was flown to Royal Stoke University Hospital, where sadly she died of her injuries. The coroner recorded a conclusion that Mrs Warner had died from a traumatic hypoxic-ischemic brain injury as a result of a fall from a moving vehicle, before offering his sincere condolences to her family..
