Son killed mother then took own life - inquest

A "devoted grandmother" was strangled to death by her son before he took his own life, a coroner has ruled.

Jane Riddell, 61, and Lee Scott Riddell, 35, were found dead at their home in Greenlea Court, Huddersfield, on 3 February 2025.

Senior Coroner Martin Fleming concluded Jane had been unlawfully killed while Lee's death was ruled to be a suicide.

Addressing Jane's relatives at Bradford Coroner's Court, he said it was "clear your mum was central to you and how much of a void there is now", adding that it was "no wonder the sudden unexpected circumstances of her death have devastated you all".

The inquest heard Lee was a habitual drug taker, with traces of ketamine found in his system following his death.

Fleming said: "Lee was a lovely young man without drugs in his system, but wasn't able to part company with his use of ketamine which took its toll on Lee, his family and friends."

In a statement read to the court Lee's father, Peter, said his son's drug taking had begun as a teenager and became a serious problem in the last few years of his life.

He said: "Lee was a normal kid. He was happy and he had some good friends at school. One of those friends gave him a job as a labourer. But when that friend was found dead in 2024, Lee changed."

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In a statement read by the coroner, a family friend told the court how Lee would "break things in the flat and wake Jane up in the middle of the night when he was on drugs".

She said their relationship had been "like a volcano bubbling ready to explode".

One of Lee's ex-partners said Lee and Jane had regular arguments but there had never been any signs that Lee would kill his mother.

"They bickered and butted heads a lot but he still loved her," she said.

"Lee took so many drugs in the last four months that he had become a different person."

A toxicology report read to the hearing showed Lee had ketamine and anti-depressants in is system but no alcohol.

The inquest heard Lee had previously sought support from Change Grow Live Kirklees, but he had been "unable to engage in a meaningful way" with the advice and support offered.

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