Joanne Baird

Joanne Baird was found dead in a stream. An open verdict was returned.

A man was arrested on suspicion of murder following her death. He had admitted to having been with her at the time, but denied hurting or causing her any injuries. However, following their investigation, the police said that no further action was to be taken against the man.

Joanne Baird was found in Hey Brook stream on 3 June 2021 by two children that had been playing in it.

She was last seen the previous day drinking in the area with the man that was arrested. She had met the man for the first time on 2 June 2021 during the afternoon and they had then spent several hours together, drinking. The man said that he first saw her sitting on a sofa behind a barber shop in Halifax Road and they were then seen in CCTV drinking and talking for about 15 minutes, after which they headed off towards All Saints Church, in Foxholes Road where they smoked cannabis together in the churchyard and continued drinking.

The man said that they then made their way down a ravine towards the stream, but that as they walked along a trail, Joanne Baird stumbled and fell but that when he picked her up she fell again into the water. He said that he then pulled her out of the water and laid her down on her back by the stream and then went off to buy more alcohol from a shop. He said that when he returned minutes later, Joanne Baird was in the same position and told him to leave her alone whilst she sorted herself out. 

The man said that he then went home. He said:

Joanne Baird was found the following day in the stream by the two children.

The emergency services pronounced her dead at the scene. 

When her body was found, she was lying on her back with her face out of the water.

Her cause of death was given as drowning, which had been caused by alcohol and polydrug toxicity. She was found to have had several injuries typical of death caused by drowning. The doctor said that whilst she had a number of minor bruises and grazes, there was no evidence that she had been assaulted and added that it was likely she had fallen into the stream while unconscious.

Toxicology tests showed that Joanne Baird had alcohol in her blood at almost two-and-a-half times the legal drink drive limit, along with traces of cocaine and cannabis, as well as methadone at a level that could have potentially proved fatal.

A civil engineer specialising in rivers said that although her face had not been under water, that it was likely that water had splashed onto her face, adding that the water level around her would have risen after she fell in.

After returning the open verdict, the Coroner added that there were unanswered questions over Joanne Baird's death, stating that whilst they couldn't be satisfied that her death was an accident, there was also not enough evidence to say she was unlawfully killed.

The Coroner said:

The Coroner then ruled that it was likely Joanne Baird had been unable to get out of the water due to being unconscious as a result of the drugs and alcohol she had taken.