News Service from House Harris

NSW: Woman jumped to her death days after self-help course

SYDNEY, Aug 10 AAP - A coroner is examining whether a self-help course played any role in the death of a woman who jumped from a Sydney office building during an unexplained psychotic episode.

Rebekah Lawrence plunged to her death from the second storey of the Macquarie Street building two days after completing the Turning Point course, described as a "journey to the core of the human spirit".

The NSW Coroner's Court at Glebe was told that moments before she died on December 20, 2005, the usually cheerful, model employee became abusive and aggressive at the office of her employer, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

The 34-year-old had undressed twice before climbing out onto a window sill, shouting "I love you", and jumping to her death shortly before 7pm that day.

An autopsy found she had no drugs or alcohol in her system.

Counsel assisting the coroner Robert Bromwich said the manner in which Ms Lawrence died wasn't in question, but the contentious point was the reason for her "psychotic" state of mind.

"Was this tragic psychotic episode something that just came out of the blue or was she profoundly disturbed and managed to hide it from her family," Mr Bromwich asked.

"Or was there some other episode in her life that caused this psychotic episode to occur - one feature in her life which needs further investigating?"

The inquest was told Ms Lawrence was a "shy, modest and delightful young woman, with no apparent health problems", but her personality changed after she attended Turning Point.

She returned from classes to her home in St Peters appearing detached, in a "dream-like state" as if she was drug-affected, her husband David Booth said.

The inquest heard Ms Lawrence had attended the course from Wednesday to Sunday, had the next day off work, and then died on the Tuesday.

Ms Lawrence spent most of her last day at work gazing at her computer screen, telling colleague Christine Ernst that she had attended a "wonderful and amazing" course at the weekend that helped her come to a new understanding with her husband.

Ms Ernst said Ms Lawrence repeatedly tried to telephone someone that day but couldn't get through.

It was later revealed the number was that of Turning Point, run by Cremorne company Zoeros Lifeskills Training through another entity known as People Knowhow.

The inquest was told a friend of Ms Lawrence's had also completed the course, which has a component called the Inner Child, but felt uneasy afterwards.

Zoeros's proprietor Geoffrey Abealo and principal teacher Richard Arthur are expected to give evidence this week.

Outside the coroner's court, Ms Lawrence's sister Kate Lawrence-Haynes said she wanted the situation to be unfolded.

"We all miss her and it's been a terrible loss for our whole family," she told AAP.

"We have lived with this for three-and-a-half years and you never get over it, especially given the circumstances of her death."

After the hearing, Mr Booth said it was difficult to hear details of the case recounted, but it was "all about closure".

The inquest before Deputy State Coroner Malcolm MacPherson continues.