Boyfriend told partner 'If I can't have her then nobody else can' before the pair died when he crashed into a lorry, inquest hears

A boyfriend told his partner 'if I can't have her then nobody else can' before they were involved in a fatal lorry crash, an inquest heard. Lydia Marsh died after her partner, Stephen Rhodes, drifted his Mazda MX-5 into the path of an oncoming HGV on a busy road near Gisburn, Lancashire, in April this year. The 25-year-old suffered multiple traumatic injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene while Mr Rhodes, 49, was killed instantly in the smash.Lancashire Police launched an investigation after Ms Marsh's family raised concerns about her relationship with Mr Rhodes and claimed he had been 'manipulative and controlling'. Her father also believed that Mr Rhodes had installed a tracking app on his daughter's phone to monitor her location. He even went as far as raising concerns that Mr Rhodes might have killed Ms Marsh, who was 24 years his junior, in a murder-suicide after she told family members that Mr Rhodes had said: 'If I can't have her then nobody else can.'However, at an inquest into the couple's death, held on Wednesday, September 9 at Preston Coroners' Court, police officers confirmed they had found no evidence to suggest that Stephen had deliberately crashed his car.A post-mortem examination also revealed that Stephen, father to two boys, likely suffered an 'acute cardiac event' immediately prior to the collision. Lydia Marsh (left) died after her partner, Stephen Rhodes (right), drifted his Mazda MX-5 into the path of an oncoming HGV on a busy road near Gisburn, Lancashire, in April this year Ms Marsh suffered multiple traumatic injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene following the fatal crashCollision investigators determined that the Mazda being driven by Stephen had been travelling within the speed limit and had started to drift 'gradually' into the path of the oncoming milk wagon just 1.5 seconds before the crash.The HGV's tachograph revealed it was travelling at 56mph at the time of the collision. The speed limit for HGVs where the collision happened is 50mph.When Ms Marsh's family questioned why she hadn't attempted to 'grab hold of the steering wheel', Sergeant Barry Moore explained: 'Normal reaction times are between 1.5 and 2 seconds but that doesn't necessarily relate to a passenger are they paying attention or are they on their phone? And their immediate response might not be to grab the steering wheel, it might be to turn to the driver, and in that short space of time there would be nothing she could do.'The police found that both passengers were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash and the airbags had deployed. Officers also found no evidence to suggest that Mr Rhodes had suddenly or deliberately driven into the path of the oncoming HGV.Sergeant Moore told the inquest: 'CCTV [from the abattoir] shows the Mazda moving into the other lane in a gradual drift. There is no sudden turn and there is no evidence the vehicle was out of control.'The HGV driver moved over as far as he could but the Mazda continued crossing towards him. He has reacted within a normal response time. He's tried to get as far over as he can but there was nothing else he could do to avoid the collision.'Hannah Hutchinson, a passer-by who stopped to help immediately after the collision, later told police that the HGV driver, Greg Kelly, had said to her that the Mazda driver 'appeared to have passed out or fainted just before the vehicles collided'. Mr Kelly did not mention this in his formal statement to police. Pictured: The A59 road where Mr Rhodes crashed his Mazda into a lorry (file image)The inquest heard that Ms Marsh and Mr Rhodes both worked at BAE Systems in Samlesbury, Lancashire.Several of the couple's colleagues attended the inquest with one suggesting it was 'a bit controversial' that the HGV driver had failed to tell officers about the 'passed out or fainting' comment.'There is an indication that that was what was said at the time when he was spoken to at the scene but it's not something that he put in his statement,' Assistant Coroner Richard Taylor said.As part of the police investigation officers visited BAE and spoke to bosses to ascertain if they had any concerns about the couple's relationship or if any had been raised by colleagues.Sergeant Daniel Gunn, who was the senior investigating officer, told the inquest: 'We are aware that concerns were raised by Ms Marsh's family as to the state of the relationship between her and Mr Rhodes. We approached BAE and we spoke to a member of the personnel team and a HR manager.'We examined the methods of reporting any issues. From BAE's point of view nothing has been raised or mentioned. They had nothing on record.'Police also examined the couple's mobile phones. Officers looked at messages sent between the pair and any apps installed on their devices.Sergeant Gunn said: 'Concerns were raised about Mr Rhodes tracking Ms Marsh. When we examined the phones both Lydia and Stephen had an app in which they shared their own location with the other. There were times they shared locations with each other.'One of the couple's colleagues told the inquest they had split up 'for good' just two weeks before the fatal collision.Sergeant Gunn responded: 'There were messages where they have fallen out and had a short time apart. There are then messages from both saying they love each other and are giving it another go.'There was nothing that raised concerns that there was anything criminal in the relationship or that one party was controlling or coercing the other.'The coroner told the inquest that he was 'well aware' of the concerns raised by Ms Marsh's family. These included a comment she had told her family in which Stephen had said 'if I can't have her nobody else can'.'I know from what I have read that Ms Marsh's family believe that this was a deliberate act by Mr Rhodes,' the coroner said. 'The suggestion from Lydia's father is that Mr Rhodes decided to end his and her life.'However, the coroner added that 'it's a very significant leap to say he has killed her' and said: 'For me to find that he has done a deliberate act with the intention of ending his life I have to find a number of things.'Firstly, that he has done a deliberate act. Secondly, that he has done that with the sole intention of ending his life. And third, that has to be found on balance.'So I ask myself, is there an alternative explanation and what evidence is there that he has done a deliberate act?'The police have found no evidence of any concerning behaviour on that day. Their phones have been examined and there is nothing to suggest any problems.'A post-mortem examination revealed that Mr Rhodes was suffering from significant heart disease and severe atherosclerotic plaque formation in his left anterior descending coronary artery; a major vessel which supplies blood to the heart.This had effectively narrowed the artery by 90 per cent meaning that Stephen's blood supply was severely compromised at the time of the crash.The coroner said: 'It would seem likely, on the balance of probabilities, that the crash was caused by Mr Rhodes suffering an acute cardiac event.'The coroner passed on his condolences to both families and returned a conclusion of road traffic collision for both of their deaths.