Jasmine Burkitt: Reality star didn't mean to kill herself - inquest

Jasmine Burkitt was described by her grandfather as "just amazing"

A former reality TV star who died from an overdose did not intend to kill herself, a coroner has concluded.

Jasmine Burkitt, 28, from Colwyn Bay, Conwy, was born with dwarfism and appeared in the BBC Three documentary series Small Teen Big World in 2010.

She was found dead in a tent where she had been living with "toxic levels of an anti-psychotic drug" in her system on 27 June 2022, in Denbighshire.

An inquest in Ruthin concluded that Ms Burkitt died by misadventure.

Having trained as a veterinary nurse, Ms Burkitt was not working at the time of her death and was living in the tent with her fiancé, Lewis Burke, after the couple had difficulty getting social housing.

Paramedics who attended the scene said they had found a large quantity of medication at Ms Burkitt's bedside, including empty packets of Quetiapine, an anti-psychotic drug.

• BBC reality star Jazz Burkitt dies aged 28

The medical cause of death recorded at the inquest was cardiac failure due to Quetiapine toxicity.

But coroner John Gittins said it was not appropriate to record the death as suicide because "all indications were that she was on the up".

The couple had recently bought a caravan and were excited about refurbishing it.

"She was well supported by her family and partner," Mr Gittins said.

"They had very exciting plans for the caravan refurbishment. There was nothing left by way of a note."

The court heard Ms Burkitt, known as Jazz, had been receiving mental health treatment for a bipolar disorder in the weeks and months before her death, and was doing well when she died.

In a report to the inquest, mental health staff said during their last contact with Ms Burkitt, she had "firmly denied" any thoughts of self-harm or suicide, telling staff that she had "too much to live for".

But on 25 June 2022, two days before Ms Burkitt died, Mr Burke was taken to hospital with chest pains and was due to have a small operation.

Jasmine Burkitt's invitation to 10 Downing Street from Samantha Cameron

In a statement to the court, Mr Burke's mother, Georgina Jones said that Ms Burkitt was upset, tearful and overwhelmed.

In the middle of the afternoon on June 27, Lewis Burke called his mother from hospital saying he could not get hold of Ms Burkitt.

When Ms Jones went to the tent in the back garden, she found Ms Burkitt lying face down on the mattress.

Coroner Mr Gittins said: "We can't know what she was thinking and what she thought the consequences would be.

'She was just amazing'

"I suspect Lewis Burke's operation was weighing heavily on her mind, and that she was anxious due that.

"Perhaps she felt the delusional thoughts she had been experiencing might be quelled by the medication."

In response to the misadventure cause of death, Ms Burkitt's family said they were "very relieved".

Her grandfather, Norman Burkitt, described Jasmine as "unbelievable", adding: "She was just amazing."

He said she had won Student of the Year Award in 2011 and attended 10 Downing St on the invitation of the then prime minister's wife Samantha Cameron in support of a disability rights organisation.

After appearing in the BBC Three documentary Small Teen Big World in 2010, a year later, Ms Burkitt appeared in a second series - Small Teen Bigger World.