A ‘loving, beautiful’ woman died by suicide at her grandmother’s home, an inquest has heard.

Ria Bignell was found hanging in the bathroom of a property on Park Place, Amersham on September 19, 2025.

Beaconsfield Coroners Court heard how the 29-year-old had been arguing with her husband the night before and had consumed alcohol.

The next morning, her husband assumed she was having a bath but later found her body in the bathroom.

Police and paramedics were called to the property between 11am and 11.30am, but despite 39 minutes of life-saving efforts, Ria was pronounced dead at the scene.

During the inquest on Tuesday, February 26, assistant coroner, Ian Wade KC said a number of handwritten notes were found in the bathroom.

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Police who attended spoke to Ria’s husband who explained that they had argued the night before Ria had consumed white wine and ‘passed out’.

He added that Ria had bipolar disorder but he never thought she would end her own life.

A post mortem later found that there were traces of ‘inappropriate substances’ in her system including cocaine.

A medical cause of death was given as hanging.

In a statement read out by the coroner during the hearing, Ria's mother, Heather said she had fallen pregnant when she was 16 and Ria was ‘everything [she] wanted’.

She added that their relationship wasn’t encouraged to flourish early on, but that they later shared a loving relationship.

“There are many photographs of Ria and her sisters. Ria was their big sister and she was proud of that role.

“Our home was chaotic but loving and open. Around the age of 20 I had started to notice a significant change in Ria’s demeanour.

“It is deeply upsetting to read that Ria believed she was let down by her family. She was let down by medical professionals. Ria was not taken seriously when she needed help.

“As a family we will never get over the death of Ria. Ria was loving, beautiful, deeply human. Our love for her never stopped.

“If we had known the full extent of her fear, distress, vulnerability, we would have acted.”

Ria was born in High Wycombe but lived in Hyde Heath at the time of her death.

She made headlines in 2023 when she caught a record-breaking 63lbs 11oz carp at the Waterside Fishery in Chesham.

Ria Bignell with the record-breaking carp at Waterside Fishery, CheshamRia Bignell with the record-breaking carp at Waterside Fishery, Chesham (Image: Ria Bignell)

Her GP confirmed a history of mental health issues with a ‘reluctance to engage’ and multiple reports of suicidal thoughts.

The coroner returned a conclusion of suicide, adding: “She appears to have been struggling with thoughts like this for quite some time.

“There is no evidence that suggests that someone did this to her. She left the notes behind that are only understandable as something we would describe as suicide notes.

“She certainly couldn’t be saved by the paramedics and they tried very very hard.”

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