The death of an epidemiologist under investigation for allegedly attempting to murder her ex-partner was self-inflicted, a coroner has ruled.
Christchurch woman Dr Shelagh Isabella Dawson was found dead by her son on May 9, 2018.
At the time, the 60-year-old was under investigation by police after her ex-partner, Stephen Lewis, alleged she had attempted to murder him.
Dawson’s benefit entitlements were also being investigated by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD).
On Friday, Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame released her findings into Dawson’s death, ruling her death to be a suicide.
The coroner said Dawson’s son described his mother as “very independent”.
“He said that she did all her own gardening and was social, having regular dinner parties and coffees with her friends.”
Her daughter said she walked her dog Charlie daily for about an hour. Around the time of her death, she had been “constantly engaging” with friends and going to the movies on her own.
Dawson, who was born in Scotland, reported having a “difficult childhood”, living in several countries.
“She had contended with multiple medical issues and chronic pain problems since the age of 13. Her complicated medical history affected many aspects of her life,” Coroner Cunninghame said.
Dawson’s GP from 2002 told the coroner her diagnoses included anxiety with depression and brain stem stroke syndrome. Her consultant physician also said she had hypertension, asthma and a conversion reaction with neurological symptoms.
“A complex medication regime was required to try to manage Dawson’s conditions,” the report said.
Dawson trained as a nurse in England, where she met Graham Dawson, whom she later married. She studied at the University of Aberdeen and gained a PhD.
The couple moved to New Zealand with their three children in 2002.
Dawson worked in epidemiology until 2009. She was a senior lecturer, with her work examining the efficacy of old and new drugs in treating diabetes and heart disease, the report said.
The coroner said there were “conflicting accounts” as to why she stopped working. In 2017, she told police she had retired with the intention of travelling with her husband. The coroner references medical notes which claimed her situation at work was “very bad” in 2008.
Other evidence said she was “medically retired”. Before she died, she was receiving benefits including the supported living payment, accommodation supplement, a disability allowance and temporary additional support.
Graham Dawson died in 2009 following a colonoscopy procedure. His wife told people she believed his death was the result of a “medical misadventure”.
In 2011, Dawson moved to Perth for three years. When she returned she reconnected with Lewis, who had previously done building work for her. Lewis moved into her home on Medway St, Richmond in 2014.
Dawson’s GP notes referred to a “long history of Accident Compensation Corporation [ACC] claims”, including claims for treatment injuries in relation to procedures she had, and claims for mental injury.
She told her GP in July 2016 she felt suicidal after ACC informed her that her claim for further neurological investigations following a neck injury was declined.
On January 19, 2017, Lewis arrived home to find Dawson “passed out” in bed. She told him she had been hit by a car outside her home when she bent down to look at a cat.
Police spoke with Dawson, who said her injuries included a bump to her head and bruising to her back, as well as her face and foot. Police were unable to establish whether any such cars had been on her street at the relevant time, despite her providing information about the vehicle and the name of the company which owned it.
A search of her devices in 2018 revealed that on the morning of the incident, she used her computer to search “how much do you get for being run over in NZ”.
In 2017, Lewis suffered a period of “serious ill health”, the report says, which led to him being admitted to Christchurch Hospital on three occasions during July and August after collapsing at home.
On each of the occasions he became sick, Dawson was home alone with him.
“During his second admission, Mr Lewis was intubated in the Intensive Care Unit [ICU] and, after being transferred to a ward, alleged that Dr Dawson had tried to inject fluid into his IV line,” the report said.
While Lewis was unconscious in the ICU, Dawson told medical staff he did not want to be left in a vegetative state, which Lewis advised was against his personal wishes.
Drug screening was done after Lewis’ third admission. Various prescription medications found in his system had been prescribed to Dawson. The medication included midazolam, amitriptyline, nortriptyline and tramadol. Lewis did not have a prescription for the drugs.
After he was discharged from the hospital, the couple broke up. The coroner said there was “conflicting evidence” about how the relationship came to an end.
“Dr Dawson’s family believe that she ended the relationship and that Mr Lewis struggled to accept this. Mr Lewis’ evidence is that he no longer wished to remain at Medway Street after he became suspicious about why he had ended up in hospital and that he went to stay with family to recuperate.”
In emails to Lewis in October and November 2018, Dawson said “you left me” and she said she was “heartbroken”.
Lewis went to the police regarding his concerns about Dawson around November 20, 2017. Police then opened Operation Medway, and spoke with some witnesses following his visit.
A week later, Dawson was taken to Christchurch Hospital after her son found her on the floor of her home.
She got a police safety order and a trespass order against Lewis.
On December 20, 2017, Dawson was interviewed by police for three and a half hours.
“The allegation that she had poisoned Mr Lewis was put to her. She denied it. She explained why Mr Lewis may have been confused by what he saw, or thought he saw, on the ward. She suggested that Mr Lewis had made the allegation out of spite, in response to the police safety order and trespass notice,” the findings said.
She was asked about an insurance policy taken out for Lewis’ life and explained how it came about.
Following the interview, police searched her home. A “vast quantity” of medication was seized, along with her electronic devices.
A month later, MSD received information that resulted in her benefit entitlements being investigated. Lewis said he did not contact MSD in relation to Dawson.
In early February, Dawson spoke to police about the incident in November. She said her memory had “returned”, and claimed she had been assaulted in her kitchen.
Dawson was interviewed by MSD on May 1, 2018. The interview focused on her relationship with Lewis. The MSD investigator told the coroner Dawson said during the interview she had a very short relationship with him, and that they were then flatmates.
A week later, she had a second interview with MSD. The investigator said Dawson “flatly denied” receiving pension payments from the United Kingdom, despite being told they had confirmation she was.
About 6.30pm that evening, Dawson spoke with her son on the phone. He said she did not say anything about any health issues, but wanted to discuss Lewis.
“[He] told her they could talk about it the following day, when he was to drive her to hospital for a carpal tunnel procedure.”
The following morning, Dawson’s son found her dead in her dining room.
As part of Operation Medway, detectives examined Dawson’s electronic devices.
“Police established that in November 2016, Dr Dawson’s email account had been used to request that ownership of a life insurance policy in Mr Lewis’ name was transferred to Dr Dawson. The person sending the email purported to be Mr Lewis.”
The CIB investigation file was in the process of being prepared for formal review by the Crown Solicitor prior to Dawson’s death. She was not aware this step had been taken.
Text messages sent by Dawson revealed the stress she was under in relation to the police and MSD investigations.
On May 2, she said she had been upset and crying for hours.
“In a further text sent on that date, she referred to what she was ‘going through’, to the fact that ‘it is not just stress, it is so much more’, to having her life ‘torn open’, and to being ‘cross-examined’ repeatedly.”
On May 7, she mentioned the emotional and physical stress she had “gone through”, and the allegations made against her.
In the days leading up to her death, she had been searching for properties to rent in England and houses for sale in a Christchurch suburb. She had also met with a real estate agent and received an auction pack for a house.
In one email, she said she had lost all her friends and did not know “how it can get any worse”.
“It appears that her friends were upset after she had assumed they had spoken to MSD investigators without first talking to her.”
The coroner concluded Dawson died by suicide, and provided several reasons for her conclusion, including that she knew she was under investigation by police and MSD.
“On the day of, or the day before, her death, she had attended a lengthy interview at MSD and had been told that two of her benefits were to stop. The allegations being investigated by the police were particularly serious. Even if Dr Dawson was innocent, it is reasonable to conclude that she would have been experiencing apprehension and concern,” the coroner said.
The coroner said the evidence before her was that Dawson was “a woman who was very intellectually capable, but who faced a number of challenges in her life”.
“Dr Dawson was, and remains, a much-loved mother and grandmother. I extend my condolences to her family and to her friends.”
The police and MSD investigations were outside the coroner’s jurisdiction, she said.
“While these issues are relevant to Dr Dawson’s state of mind at the time of her death, the veracity or otherwise of the allegations made against Dr Dawson is outside the scope of the inquiry.”
Dr Dawson’s family declined to comment when approached by the Herald. Police also declined to comment.
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