A family heartbroken after the death of a young woman are campaigning for a law change after her partner failed to call 999 when she was unresponsive.
Kimberley McAssey was found dead in bed at Ryan Sheridan’s flat in Prestwich, Greater Manchester in February 2021. The 29 year-old had ‘gone cold’ at around 6am after the pair had drunk alcohol and taken ecstasy together, Rochdale Coroner’s Court was told.
After finding his girlfriend unresponsive in his bed, 'coward' Sheridan waited 30 hours before his mum phoned the police. A coroner earlier concluded the cause of Kimberley's death 'could not be determined' due to her post-mortem being affected by a delay to call emergency services.
Now, the family have launched a campaign for 'Kimberley's Law', to make similar delays to notify the emergency services of a death or medical incident a crime, MEN reported. The petition to make delaying calls to the emergency services on purpose a criminal offence has received more than 1,700 signatures since it was launched last Friday.
Rea Swindells, Kimberley's cousin, said: "We are hoping it could stop something like this happening again, so another family doesn't have to go through it. If they had been contacted straight away then the inquest would have been able to determine the cause of Kim's death.
“The only reason they couldn't was because it was prolonged for so long. Surely you should face some consequences for that, it was 30 hours from when she died he waited [to tell the emergency services.”
The inconclusive verdict at the inquest has left the family with unanswered questions over what happened. The coroner had noted Sheridan was the sole witness to the events of February 20, 2021, but he refused to attend the inquest.
Sheridan was on bail for assault at the time of the incident. Asked about the delay by police, Mr Sheridan said: “I thought what about if they thought I had done something with [Ms McAssey], and with the drugs being taken. I just panicked… I did not want to get arrested and be under the influence of drugs.”
The coroner concluded the delay had been a 'conscious and calculated decision on Mr Sheridan’s part'. Sheridan is currently serving a 28-month sentence for Class A drug supply offences at HMP Hindley.
Karrie McAssey, Kimberley's mum, recalls harrowing words from the undertaker who dealt with Kimberley. She said: “He said to me 'in all his 30 years as an undertaker, he'd never seen anybody so decomposed'" she said. Much-loved Kimberley was a mum to Maddison and an aunt to Max. Katie McAssey, Kimberley's sister, added: "She always lit up my life with her precious laugh and her beautiful smile. Nothing will ever be the same without her, life just feels empty without her contagious smile."
Coroner Joanne Kearsley said in her concluding remarks: "His self-serving cowardice, which persists to this day, demonstrates a blatant disregard for Kimberley."