‘We were proud of her’: parents’ tribute to UEA graduate found dead in flat
King Street, Norwich, where Norfolk County Council worker Chantal Grimshaw, 26. lived before her death in February 2020. Picture: Google - Credit: Google
A “lovely young woman” with a University of East Anglia degree and a job at Norfolk County Council died after taking heroin and crack, an inquest heard.
Chantal Grimshaw, 26, a credit controller, was found unresponsive in her bedroom in her flat on King Street, Norwich, at around 10am on February 29 by her boyfriend Billy Louden.
Concluding the inquest,at Norfolk Coroner’s Court on September 2, area coroner Yvonne Blake said Miss Grimshaw died from a drug-related death and the medical cause of death was drug toxicity.
Evidence from the inquest revealed Miss Grimshaw and Mr Louden had taken crack cocaine and heroin the night before she died.
Ms Blake said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, post-mortem results revealed the council worker did not take drugs regularly and she took the substances willingly on February 28.
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In a written statement, Miss Grimshaw’s parents Brigitte and Malcolm Grimshaw, from Cambridgeshire, said: “As a child Chantal was a bright young girl who loved reading enormously, especially Harry Potter. She had many friends and a great sense of humour.”
They added that life became more difficult after their teenager daughter “became obsessed with how she looked”.
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Miss Grimshaw, who was born in Oxford, had depression and anxiety and was taking antidepressants but she did not seek help in Norwich.
She achieved a 2:1 in philosophy and English literature from the UEA, which is when her relationship improved with her parents.
“She had lots of determination and we were proud of her. Chantal was a lovely young woman, was lots of fun and was an excellent listener,” they added.
Miss Grimshaw, who previously taught English in Thailand, also stood up for animal rights, lived a vegan lifestyle and enjoyed keeping fit and healthy.
Mr Louden, who met the council worker in April 2019, said how they loved each other and added Miss Grimshaw was not addicted to drugs.
Miss Grimshaw’s flatmate, Hannah Collyer, who attempted CPR before paramedics arrived, described her friend as happy.
