The tragic death of 23-year-old Jamie Smith unfolded after a night out in Portsmouth, leaving her family searching for answers. Jamie, a young mother, began her evening at a Christmas market with her partner. Following an argument, she left and walked alone to the Guildhall area where she encountered a man and two of his friends. Security footage shows Jamie and the unidentified man entering Wiggle, a nearby strip club. Inside the club, they were seen together, drinking and kissing. However, Jamie’s final hour at the club was spent alone, and she departed by herself around 2 am.
Following her departure from the club, Jamie wandered the streets alone before CCTV captured her walking up the stairs of a multi-storey car park adjacent to a Tesco store. She briefly sat on a tall wall before tragically falling backwards. The fall resulted in unsurvivable head injuries, and she was discovered around 4 am and later pronounced dead at the hospital. Prior to the incident, Jamie had reportedly made two phone calls to her cousin, discussing her mental health. Her phone was later found in a drain near the club. The circumstances surrounding her fall and the presence of Ketamine in her system have raised questions and concerns for her family.
Jamie’s mother, Julie Stephenson, has expressed her belief that her daughter was spiked, asserting that Jamie was too fearful to willingly take Ketamine. She has pleaded with detectives to release images of the man Jamie was seen with at the club, hoping to gain a clearer understanding of her daughter’s final moments. However, the man remains unidentified, hampered by non-functional CCTV at the club, a lack of logged bank card transactions, and unsuccessful facial recognition attempts by police. Julie, dissatisfied with the investigation’s progress, plans to escalate her concerns to the Police and Crime Commissioner.
During the inquest at Portsmouth Coroner’s Court, Julie reiterated her conviction that Jamie would not have willingly taken drugs, especially on the eve of her daughter’s birthday. She questioned the thoroughness of the police investigation, emphasizing the importance of questioning the man Jamie was last seen with. Detective Sergeant Matthew Egginton explained the police efforts, including facial recognition technology and witness appeals, but acknowledged the difficulty in identifying the man and the legal constraints preventing the release of his image due to human rights concerns. He suggested that Jamie might have mistaken Ketamine for another drug like Cocaine.
Jamie’s sister, Jodie Quinn, supported her mother’s assertion, testifying that Jamie would have been too afraid to knowingly take Ketamine, citing her fear of even consuming out-of-date bread. Jodie also found it unusual for Jamie to visit a strip club. The inquest heard that Jamie had previously used Cocaine with a former partner. Detective Sergeant Egginton also pointed out the typical behavior of someone involved in spiking, which involves remaining with the victim, a detail that did not align with the events of that night.
Coroner Nicholas Walker delivered a verdict of accidental death, concluding that the combination of Ketamine and alcohol led to Jamie’s tragic fall. He acknowledged the family’s suspicions of foul play but stated that there was no evidence to support the theory that Jamie had been spiked. He highlighted the unusual location of the car park but attributed Jamie’s presence there to the influence of the drugs and alcohol. He described the fall as a miscalculation or misjudgment resulting from the combined effects of the substances. He also stated there was no indication of suicidal intent and dismissed any suggestion of wrongdoing by the unidentified man. Julie described her daughter as a loving and kind person, dedicated to her role as a mother. She lamented that Jamie sometimes struggled to see her own beauty as perceived by others. The tragic accident has left a void in the lives of her family and friends, who continue to grapple with the unanswered questions surrounding her final hours.
