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Coroner Finds Olivia Martinez Died by Suicide While Impaired by Sedatives and Alcohol

Her family says repeated pleas for help went unmet, highlighting gaps in mental-health support for people confronting inherited disease risks.

Overview

  • Norfolk Coroner's Court recorded a narrative conclusion from area coroner Yvonne Blake that Martinez took her own life while intoxicated, which impaired her ability to understand or intend her actions.
  • A toxicology report presented to the inquest found significant sedative drugs and alcohol in her system before her death.
  • The 29-year-old from Norwich had long-standing mental-health difficulties, including a later diagnosis of Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, eating disorders and substance misuse.
  • She feared inheriting Huntington's disease that affected her grandfather and mother, began but did not complete predictive testing, and died on May 5, 2025, a year after her mother's death.
  • Her father criticized intermittent support from services, left teaching to become a mental-health home carer, and helped create an Olivia Martinez Scholarship Fund with HDYO, while NSFT colleagues praised her work as a peer support worker and HDYO ambassador.