Police most respected officer kills herself after boyfriend dumped her

Dr Sara Gilks, 32, who had a distinguished academic career and considered one of West Yorkshire Police's most respected volunteer officers, killed herself after her boyfriend had split with her. A heartbroken special constable text a friend saying her boyfriend had "absolutely destroyed me" before killing herself when he ended the relationship, an inquest heard. The court was told that she had begun to research suicide methods over the internet before she was found dead in her bed by her friend Diane Hirst. She told the inquest: “I received a message from her saying her boyfriend had split up with her and she was ‘proper gutted’. She was very upset. “It was clear that she was so shocked by what had happened. He had booked a skiing holiday for them. The next morning, she said she couldn’t stop crying.” Diane became worried when she did not hear from her friend again and two days later she let herself in Sara’s flat in Huddersfield during the evening. She said: “I went into her bedroom. She was wearing her pyjamas. I grabbed her arm, it was cold. There were packets of tablets on the bed. “I was so shocked and upset I couldn’t speak. I never thought she would do such a thing.”