A FORMER financial advisor who amassed debts of £55,000 killed herself.

Swindon mother-of-two Jane Varian, 57, was found in her wheelchair at her home in Farnsby Street, on May 11, 2008, surrounded by bills after she overdosed on prescription drugs.

She was being treated for depression at the time, the inquest in Trowbridge heard.

David Ridley, coroner for Swindon and Wiltshire, said Ms Varian had taken the overdose on Saturday, May 10. Her body was found shortly before 9.40pm the next day and she was pronounced dead by paramedics at 9.47pm.

Giving evidence, Ms Varian’s son Guy Thomas-Varian said his mother had left her job as a financial advisor in 2000 and, though she tried to retrain to work in computers, she ended up back in her original career as a maths teacher.

She had been made redundant from this position in December 2007 and had gone through an acrimonious divorce, the inquest heard.

Mr Thomas-Varian said: “Ever since 2000 there has been a lot of depression and stress. She left her last career – she went from earning quite a lot of money to no money and there was very little support.”

Mr Thomas-Varian said because of her depression, his mother had put on weight and had consequently suffered injuries with her ankles and knees.

He said she was wheelchair-bound at the time of her death after an operation on her ankle and had been internet shopping and using TV shopping channels.

Mr Thomas-Varian said he had moved out of the house a year before his mother’s death, but his sister Lucy Thomas had just moved out on May 9.

He said: “From mum’s letter I think she was happy everyone had gone. She had been waiting for that moment.”

He said he had received a phone call from his mother at around 1pm on Saturday, May 10, but had not been able to speak to her because he was at a rugby match and could not contact her later.

Analysis of Ms Varian’s computer revealed the document she had left for her family had been saved at 2.10pm on Saturday, May 10.

She was discovered by Ms Thomas with empty packets of medication next to her. Toxicology reports found levels of morphine, a constituent of co-codamol, in her blood.

PC Leigh Mayhew, of Swindon Police, said Ms Varian was in the kitchen of her home with bank statements strewn around.

Mr Thomas-Varian said that he had found out later that his mother had made threats to kill herself during her dealings with the school which had dismissed her.

He said: “She had it in her mind that she would get a lot of compensation or her job.

“She really set it up as a task the whole family were part of.”

Recording his verdict of suicide Mr Ridley said that from the evidence it was clear that Ms Varian “was having an exceptionally difficult time”.

He also took into account the fact that Ms Varian had sought medical advice for depression and the note she had left.