This woman died in a 'freak accident' after making her nephew a bacon sandwich

On 24 January 2021, the most unfortunate accident took place in Blackburn Lancashire, in which a woman was strangled to death by her own pyjamas.

The women in question, Jackie Cottrill, 52, was found asphyxiated by her pyjamas on the oven door after making her nephew, Josh Brocklebank, a bacon sandwich.

It was Josh who found her body that morning.

The unfortunate story of Jackie Cottrill

Very little is known as to how the freak accident occurred leaving the police department in charge of the investigation it was first reported, the police department were completely dumbfounded.

Coroner James Adeley described the incident as 'extraordinarily back luck,' said at the time, as quoted by The Mirror:

It is very unusual that someone who was fit and well managed to suspend themselves accidentally from the oven door.What appears to have happened is that for some reason she has fallen and caught her pyjama top on the lower handle of the oven door.

And added:

I can’t explain how she ended up in this position it’s a very unusual case. In my 20 years of doing this I have never come across this happening.

The police, and also her family, have to live with the fact that they will probably never know what truly happened that day. Her daughter Sarah Ramsdale said:

Only she knows how it happened.

Jackie's brother Toni added:

We’ll never know.

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Popular in town

Jackie Cottrill left behind her two daughters who remember their mother as a very much loved character in the Lancashire town. The mother-of-two worked at two local pubs where she was said to be a popular figure that everyone admired.

Sarah said, as quoted by LancsLive:

She knew everything about everyone and was never shy with a bit of gossip.Her wonderful sense of humour endeared her to everyone she came into contact with and it is a great testament to her nature that she formed so many long-lasting relationships over the years.

And added:

There wasn’t a pub in Blackburn where she hadn’t pulled a pint; she even worked alongside her daughters in the Last Orders pub.

Being as sociable as she was, she never saw this as work but as a chance to spend time with her friends and make new ones. Blackburn has lost a true character and the town, pubs and games nights will never be the same without her.

Read more: Three people dead after eating poisonous 'death cap' mushrooms served at family lunch

Sources used:

LancsLive: 'Extraordinarily bad luck' led to accidental death of 'wonderful' Blackburn barmaid
Mirror: 'Woman strangled to death by her oven after pyjama top somehow gets tangled in door'