8 December 2005 - Death Influenced by Bullying in the Workplace

8 December 2005 - Death Influenced by Bullying in the Workplace: "A jury inquest, at Oldham Magistrates Court, into the death of a young teenage girl, on Boxing Day 2003, ruled that Hannah Kirkham from Baguley, Greater Manchester had died from 'cardiac arrest, brought on by ingestion of her medication' and was 'significantly influenced' by the abuse and threats to her life from bullies within her workplace.

The inquest heard how young Hannah, whilst working at Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food outlet in Northeden had been subjected to such abuse as the following:

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She was stabbed in the arm with corn sticks.
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Verbally abused and threatened with death.
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Her colleagues and team leader called her a 'fat, spotty bitch.'
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One colleague also said: 'You dirty ugly slag, who would want to rape you?'
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Workers sprayed deodorant on her uniform.
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Workers held a cigarette lighter against her.
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Workers also drew on her face and body with a marker pen.
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One worker said: 'Would anyone miss you if you died?'.
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Another said: 'No one could ever have loved you, not even family' and 'If we killed you we would cut you up and post your body through your letterbox.'

Hannah was signed off sick. She then suffered hallucinations of being attacked and consequently harmed herself.

Eighteen year old Hannah told her KFC employer of the abuse. She was told to try and sort it out by herself and if this failed, she had to put her grievances in writing. Hannah did put her grievances in writing on 5 December 2003, but her letter was 'misplaced' by her employer KFC and was not opened until February 2004, some 2 months later and after her death.

Young Hannah was found by her Mother on the morning of 17 December 2003, lying next to empty blister packs of her medication. She subsequ"