A coroner says that the friend and mother who owned the flat where a woman died were "callous" and "calculated". 

Kimberley McAssey, known as Kim by her family and friends, died on February 21, 2021, at a friend’s flat on Sherbourne Court in Prestwich.

The 29-year-old mum of one was born in Salford, lived on Cuckoo Lane in Prestwich at the time of her death and worked at Armstrongs chip shop on Bury Old Road.

The inquest into her death started yesterday at Rochdale Coroner’s Court where evidence was heard from Kim's mother, paramedics and Emma Heydon, the mother of Ryan Sheridan, whose flat she died in.

This morning, DC Nicola Jones told the court how she was one of the officers who responded to the call about Kim’s death, made by Emma on the morning of February 21, 2021.

DC Jones said that the call came through describing the incident as having suspicious circumstances, and she thought it was strange that Ryan hadn’t made the phone call to police and the call had been made so long after Kim had become unresponsive and died.

Upon arrival, police body-worn camera footage showed DC Jones talking to Ryan, who could be seen sobbing on the sofa and Emma sat beside him, rubbing his back.

DC Jones said: “Emma seemed very dissociated, she was rolling a cigarette and looking out the window.”

The police footage showed Ryan telling DC Jones that he and Kim had some drinks when she arrived on the Friday night, they then had MDMA where they split a crystal, then had some more drinks, started kissing and went to the bedroom where they had sex, he left the bedroom several times and after returning and lying beside her for 30 to 40 minutes realised she was cold to touch and had died.

DC Jones said that she thought this account was strange as bodies don’t normally go cold that quickly after death and the flat wasn’t cold to begin with.

While speaking to Ryan and Emma, she said she didn’t notice any drug paraphernalia at the time, and she stayed in the front room with them that afternoon as detectives were on their way to the scene.

Detective Inspector Matthew Noland told the court how he became involved in the case and dealt with the ongoing investigation.

He said that Ryan was arrested on Sunday morning on suspicion of murder as Kim had been dead for over 24 hours in his flat.

It was discovered that on February 14 he had been released on police bail following an allegation that he had assaulted his ex-girlfriend by pushing her and placing his hands around her neck. He had pleaded guilty to this.

Both Ryan and Kim’s mobile phones were looked at by police and they showed that it was Ryan who instigated meeting up with Kim and her going to his flat on the Friday evening.

Ryan messaged Kim at 22.54pm on February 19 saying 'Hey you. You okay long time no see. How’s tricks? You up to much?'.

Kim then replies saying “who’s this” to which he tells her 'it’s Ryan'.

They then have a conversation over text chatting about work, how Kim had had Covid-19 and what they had both been up to.

DI Noland said that this suggests that they had not been in contact for a while.

Kim agreed to go round to his flat that evening.

During a search of Ryan’s flat on February 26 a bag of MDMA was found, worth around £20.

In a police interview conducted on Monday, February 22, Ryan told police that after Kim and himself had taken the MDMA and had sex he pulled her to one side of the bed and she was making moaning noises and he asked her if she wanted a glass of water.

She refused and she was tapping her fingers and grinding her teeth which could have been due to a reaction to the MDMA.

Ryan also said she was very hot but said this was normal after taking the drug, he told her to drink some water and she drank a tiny bit.

He then left the room, came back with more water, left the room again to go into the living room for around 40 minutes before coming into the bedroom to find Kim unresponsive.

He said he didn’t phone the emergency services because he didn’t want to be arrested while under the influence of a drug and also because of what had occurred with his ex-girlfriend.

In coroner Joanne Kearsley’s findings, she said: “His failure to alert the authorities was a conscious and calculated decision on Mr Sheridan’s part.

“I am satisfied that in failing to take appropriate action Mr Sheridan had only one person on his mind, and that was himself.

“His self-serving cowardice demonstrates a blatant disregard for Kim.”

Regarding Emma’s actions on Sunday, February 21, Ms Kearsley said: “I found her to be a most unconvincing witness, who exemplified the similar selfish considerations as those of her son.”

She said that her actions at his flat, where she goes out to buy sandwiches and milk so he could eat before police arrived were “callous”.

Ms Kearsley said that she found that Kim was a naïve user of MDMA and only would take drugs occasionally when socialising.

She concluded that the likely scenario is that Kim by the end of the sexual intercourse was virtually unresponsive as Kim was not communicating or acting in a coherent way.

READ MORE: Prestwich mum died in friend's bed after taking MDMA, inquest hears

Kim’s death was recorded as an open conclusion with the medical cause of death being recorded as unascertained due to the absence of necessary evidence.

Her death was also recorded to have been on the morning of February 20, not February 21.

Addressing Kim’s family, Ms Kearsley said: “You’ve waited a long time for this inquest and no family should have to endure the grief and distress you will have felt over the last three and a quarter years.

“I offer my condolences to you and Kim’s child.

“I hope you can remember the daughter she was and the good things about Kim.”