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Inquest into Death of Haverfordwest Woman Reports Suicide Determination
An inquest held at County Hall in Haverfordwest has determined that 27-year-old Emily Victoria Hemingway, whose body was discovered near the River Cleddau, took her own life. The hearing took place on September 15 and 16, 2026, and examined the circumstances surrounding her death on September 23, 2020.
Police were alerted to the scene by members of the public who reported seeing what appeared to be an unresponsive body on the grass beneath the Freemans Way bridge. Upon arrival, officers discovered that the individual was a female, later identified as Miss Hemingway. Despite attempts to revive her, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Initial concerns about a potential sexual assault were raised by her mother, Wendy Hemingway, given the state in which the body was found. A statement from Detective Sergeant Kelly Rowlands of Dyfed-Powys Police described Miss Hemingway’s exposure and indicated no evidence of third-party involvement in her death.
The inquest detailed Miss Hemingway’s longstanding mental health struggles, which began in 2009 with self-harming behaviours and included treatment from a crisis team at St Caradog ward, a mental health facility near Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest. She had a history of self-harming and previous suicide attempts. In the weeks leading up to her death, she had been readmitted to St Caradog ward after a concerning incident at a multi-storey car park in Haverfordwest.
After a brief discharge, Miss Hemingway returned to her mother’s home before returning to her residence in Priory Court just two days prior to her passing. Reports indicated that shortly before her body was found, a woman had observed the body within the grounds of Haverfordwest Priory.
Assistant Coroner Paul Bennett remarked on the unusual circumstances regarding the positioning of Miss Hemingway’s body and clothing. However, he concluded that there were no defensive wounds and stated, “I am not satisfied that they had been left in that way due to any third-party involvement.” The toxicology report indicated a significant excess of prescribed drugs in her system, leading to the conclusion of death by cardiorespiratory depression due to drug effects.
Wendy Hemingway attended the inquest and described her daughter as “brilliant and intelligent.” Coroner Bennett acknowledged her contributions to the proceedings and officially recorded the conclusion of suicide in relation to Miss Hemingway’s death.
For those struggling with mental health issues, support is available from organisations such as Mind Cymru, Samaritans, and C.A.L.L. in Wales.
