Amazon defends selling book linked to Cheshire woman's death

Amazon must respond to the coroner's report by April 26

Online retailer Amazon has defended selling a book that tells people how to take their own life after a coroner called for it to be removed from sale.

Assistant coroner for Cheshire Elizabeth Wheeler said the book was read by a woman whose death she was investigating.

Mrs Wheeler wrote to Amazon after the death of Mary Jones, 86, in Knutsford, Cheshire.

Amazon told the BBC such listings included advice about how to get help.

'Prevent future deaths'

Ms Jones died from "a deliberate overdose of medication, taken with the intent to end her own life", Mrs Wheeler wrote in a prevention of future deaths report.

She gave Amazon 28 days to respond to her concerns about the "the ready availability" of the book, and said that her intervention was the second time a coroner had raised the concerns with Amazon.

But she said neither she nor the area coroner for Cheshire, Victoria Jones, who wrote to Amazon in 2023 over the same book, had received a reply.

Amazon said it recognised it sold "books some may find objectionable" and had content guidelines for which books could be listed for sale.

A spokesperson said: "We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Ms Jones."

"We recognise this is a highly sensitive issue, and as such, we display a banner on the product detail page for this book, which presents customers with information on how to access free and confidential advice from the Samaritans."

Amazon has until 26 April to respond to the prevention of future deaths report.

Ms Jones died at her home on 7 November 2023.

The inquest into her death has not concluded.

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