'He waited 30-hours to call 999, it should never have been allowed to happen'

A heartbroken family left without answers almost four years since the death of a young mum are campaigning for a law change to stop others going through the same ordeal. A coroner ruled that Kimberley McAssey, from Prestwich, died early on February 20, 2021.

But an inquest into the 29-year-old's death found there had been a 30-hour gap before emergency services were contacted about it. Kimberley's cause of death could not be determined as a result of the delay, leaving her devastated loved ones without closure.

Now, the family have launched a campaign for 'Kimberley's Law', to make similar delays to notify the emergency services of a death or medical incident a crime. Rea Swindells, Kimberley's sister, said: "We are hoping that it could stop something like this happening again, so another family doesn't have to go through it."

An inquest heard last November concluded that Kimberley's cause of death was 'unascertained' due to difficulties with the post-mortem. Kimberley had gone to see Ryan Sheridan at his flat on Sherbourne Court, in Prestwich.

The court heard accounts from Mr Sheridan about how the pair had a drink, before taking a quantity of MDMA (ecstasy), and moving to the bedroom for sexual intercourse. Coroner Joanne Kearsley concluded that Kimberley was 'virtually unresponsive' by the end of that activity.

Mr Sheridan never called 999 for medical help or to notify emergency services of Kimberley's death. There was a 30-hour gap before his mum, Emma Heydon, eventually called 999 on February 21, 2021.

Mr Sheridan was on bail for assault at the time of the incident. Asked about the delay by police, Mr Sheridan said: “I thought what about if they thought I had done something with [Ms McAssey], and with the drugs