Emma Matthews
Emma Matthews, from Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, was accused of being an escort when screenshots of private messages to men were taken from her phone and posted to Facebook. Emma Matthews / Facebook

A former call centre worker hanged herself in a hotel room two days after a series of posts were published to Facebook accusing her of being an escort.

An inquest heard that Emma Matthews was even thrown out of her home by her mother because of the screenshots that were posted to the social media site in July last year.

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An inquest heard that the screenshots were allegedly taken from the 30-year-old's phone showing private messages between her and several men.

They were allegedly posted by another woman who found Matthews at her boyfriend's home and the two women began arguing online about the incident in a series of messages.

Matthews, from Ferndale, Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, was found dead in a hotel room by a cleaner just two days later, on 30 July last year.

The inquest, at Aberdare coroners court, heard that Matthews had gone to a hotel with her friend Siobhan Wilcox and two men the night before she was found dead.

At around 12.30am Wilcox and the two men left the Scotts Hotel in Llantwit Fadre, near Pontypridd, South Wales, whilst Matthews stayed. The inquest was told that Matthews was found dead at 9.20am the following morning.

Investigating officer Detectve Constable Ian Jones said according to the Daily Mail: "Siobhan Wilcox said Emma was fine but she had a lot on her mind.

"She said there were Facebook posts revealing that Emma was an escort and her mother had seen it and kicked her out of her home."

Investigators found no evidence of foul play surrounding Matthews' death at the hotel and pathologist Dr Stephen Leadbeater said the cause of death was "pressure on the neck."

Coroner Andrew Barkley said the public accusations that Matthews was an escort were a cause of anxiety for her.

"It seems that the fact she had been found to be acting in this way is a source of anxiety to her and her family," said Barkley.

The coroner recorded a narrative verdict saying that her "intention was unclear," reported the Metro.

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