Jamie Smith, 23, tragically died after falling from a car park just hours before her daughter’s fourth birthday.
Police are investigating her death, which happened in Portsmouth on November 23, 2023. Jamie had been at a strip club earlier that night, where CCTV showed her kissing a man whose identity remains unknown.
Despite requests from Jamie’s family, police will not release the man’s image, citing his ‘human rights’.
Jamie fell from the first floor of a multi-storey car park, suffering severe head injuries. She was found at 4am and taken to hospital, but doctors could not save her.
Her mother, Julie Stephenson, believes something unusual happened that night. She claims Jamie was likely spiked after initially visiting a Christmas market and later ending up at Wiggle, a strip club, with the unidentified man.
Julie told the inquest: “She’s my daughter. I know she wouldn’t go out and do drugs, especially the night before her daughter’s birthday.”
The coroner heard that Jamie had alcohol and ketamine in her system. While she had used cocaine in the past, her family insists she would never take ketamine.
Jamie was last seen looking “unsteady” as she left the club alone at around 2am. She wandered the streets before falling from the car park. The mystery man left the club 30 seconds after her but was not seen with her again.
Police reviewed CCTV and analyzed every frame but found no evidence of suspicious behavior, such as spiking. Unfortunately, technical issues like non-working cameras and missing payment logs at the club made identifying him harder.
Jamie’s mother is frustrated with the investigation. She plans to speak with police and the Crime Commissioner about what she sees as “failings” in the case.
Coroner Nicholas Walker called Jamie’s death “a very sad and tragic accident.”
Jamie’s family continues to search for answers, hoping to understand what really happened that night.
