Three sisters who drowned at Brighton beach died in suicide pact after visiting place where their mother took her own life 16 years earlier, inquest finds

Three sisters who drowned off the coast of Brighton took their own lives as part of a suicide pact after visiting the place where their mother killed herself 16 years earlier, an inquest has found.The bodies of Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, were pulled from the sea at Brighton beach on May 13.Police and the coastguard had been alerted to reports of a woman in difficulty in the sea at around 5.45am.But when they arrived they recovered the bodies of all three sisters who were pronounced dead at the scene.Today an inquest at Woodvale Coroner's Court heard that less than 48 hours before the tragedy they had travelled from their shared home in Uxbridge, London to Erdington, Birmingham on May 11.There they visited their mother's former home before going to the lake where she took her life in 2010. It is thought they also visited their mother's grave.After spending just 90 minutes in Birmingham they then took a taxi back to London in the early hours of May 12 and then onto Brighton that evening.They arrived in Brighton at 10.21pm in the evening and were seen on CCTV cameras on the road adjacent to the beach. Father Joseph Jacobson (second from left) with his daughters (left to right) Jane Adetoro, Christina Walters, and Rebecca Walters in an old image Emergency services respond to the tragedy at Brighton Beach on May 13 in which all three sisters died For more than an hour they walked up and down the road, before CCTV picked up figures police believe to be the same three women making their way onto the beach at 2.42am.It was around three hours later that police received reports of a woman in difficulty in the water. None of the sisters were able to swim, the inquest heard, and they had never had any lessons. There was also no known connection between the three of them and Brighton itself. Ms Adetoro was brought to shore by an RNLI crew and declared dead at the scene on the morning of May 13.Christina Walters was recovered from the sea by an RNLI lifeboat, and Rebecca Walters was washed on to the shore of Brighton beach. They were also pronounced dead that morning by paramedics.Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cullimore told Senior Coroner Penelope Schofield: 'On Wednesday, May 13, two calls were received reporting bodies could be seen in the sea in Brighton.'One body appeared lifeless and had been washed up on the shore. It was windy and the sea was particularly rough.'The sisters' father, Joseph Jacobson, told the inquest: 'There are no words that can adequately express the loss of a child. It's a heartbreak beyond anything I could imagine. 'Each had their own special place in my heart. They shared a special bond as sisters.'I find some comfort in my Christian faith. They were my daughters. They were loved and they mattered. I'm left with memories that I will have for the rest of my life.' Coroner Schofield told the court she was ruling that the three women 'entered the sea at West Beach, Brighton to end their lives'.It was revealed that before travelling to the seaside town, the sisters had made meticulous preparations for their deaths.They had tidied and cleaned their flat of possessions and had settled up all their debts and closed their bank accounts.Christina, who had suffered from depression since her mother's death, had also carried out intensive research on her computer about suicide and looked for bodies of water.The women died 16 years after their mother Janice, who died from drowning after going missing in December 2009.She was last seen by one of her daughters and had been struggling with stress-related mental health issues. She turned up at a police station in October 2009 suffering from 'paranoid delusions', relatives said.She was found dead three months after she was reported missing. After their mother's death, the sisters moved back to London together, having previously moved to Birmingham with her after her split from their father. Neighbours described them as very private and said they had shopping delivered to their home every week.Jane worked as an accountant and was described as taking on the 'mother' role to her two sisters.Meanwhile Christina, who along with her sister Rebecca had changed her surname to Walters, her mother's maiden name, had recently graduated from Brunel University and also worked in accountancy, while Rebecca worked in HR.The sisters' cousin, Natalie Walters-Daniel, previously said the women had never got over the death of their mother. For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support