Mother Suzan Mahmoud and daughter Davina Allen killed themselves at New Forest home using a poison ‘notoriously promoted’ on suicide websites

A MOTHER and daughter killed themselves using a poison “notoriously promoted” on suicide websites following the death of a family member.

Suzan Mahmoud (42) and Davina Allen (17) were found dead lying on a bed in a bungalow in Downton.

An inquest in Winchester heard they died from “ingesting a large amount” of a poison purchased online.

The bodies of the two women were found on 29th December 2022 by Mrs Mahmoud’s eldest daughter, Laura Allen, who was later arrested for assisting, or encouraging a suicide after it was revealed the substance was purchased in her name using her ID.

But giving evidence, Police Staff Investigator Vicki Rowen said although it appeared that at one stage all three women had been planning to take their lives together, Laura had apparently “changed her mind”.

The women had been left “deeply distressed” by the suicide of Mrs Mahmoud’s son and Laura and Davina’s brother, Harvey Allen, in August 2022. Mrs Mahmoud was said by a friend to have bought graves for all her children before she died.

Ms Rowen said that from examination of their mobile phones, it appeared that Laura had previously been involved in discussions and the planning of suicide with Davina and her mother, but not in the immediate lead-up to the women’s deaths.

She said that investigations had shown all three women used each other’s mobiles, laptops and emails, so it had been impossible to prove who actually purchased the substance – which was “notorious” on websites dedicated to suicide.

The inquest heard there was also contact between Mrs Mahmoud and a “gentleman in Canada” who offered her advice about how to take her own life.

In a statement, Laura, who did not attend the inquest for medical reasons, said that following Harvey’s death her mother had told her that “she could not live without him”.

She said her sister was also heartbroken as she and Harvey, who died on Davina’s birthday, “did everything together”.

Laura said she had last seen her mother at the family’s home, Twin Oaks, which is close to Shorefield Country Park, on Christmas Eve 2022.

She and her mum, who had arrived in Britain as an asylum seeker from Iraq 25 years ago, had argued that day over her “life choices” and she had gone to London to stay with her boyfriend.

On 28th December family friend Hasti Hawis phoned Laura saying he had last heard from her mother and Davina on Christmas Day, but nothing since, and he was worried about them.

He arranged to meet Laura at the house the following day. Laura said they had been unable to get in the front door as it had a key in the inside lock, but Mr Hawis had found a window open and climbed in.

She said she went in calling for her mother, then on opening the bedroom door she saw the bodies of her and her sister lying on a bed. “I screamed and ran out of the room,” she said.

The inquest heard it was impossible to say when they had actually died.

Bottles of pills were found scattered around the room, and post-mortems revealed both women had taken a cocktail of drugs.

A “timeline” of when to take each drug was found written in both women’s handwriting and a day later Laura found two suicide notes written by Davina and her mother.

A close friend of Mrs Mahmoud’s, Afaf Hassan, told how she had seen her in 2022 and the woman had told her she and her daughters were planning to kill themselves.

She said she had made her friend promise not to, but in October she received a will written by Mrs Mahmoud and one from Laura, along with a “list of wishes” from Davina.

She said Mrs Mahmoud told her she had bought graves for all her children, and Mrs Hassan said she pleaded with her to get help but she had replied that she “had tried to get help in this country but they had failed”.

The inquest heard the family had relocated to the New Forest from Maidstone in Kent.

Ruling the women’s deaths as suicide, coroner Sarah Whitby said their suicide notes were “very sad” to read, but it “clearly shows that a 17-year-old and her mother had both decided to take their lives”.

• The Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or at www.samaritans.org