A contestant from Britain’s Got Talent was taken into custody on charges related to child sexual offenses just days before she was discovered dead in what is suspected to be a suicide, an inquest has revealed.
Kerri-Anne Donaldson, aged 38, was facing an investigation for allegedly committing a sex crime against a minor when authorities found her hanged.
During a session at Winchester Crown Court, Detective Chief Superintendent Sarah McConnell stated that Ms. Donaldson faced accusations of child sex offenses. However, specifics of the allegations have not been made public.
The police conducted a risk evaluation as part of the ongoing investigation, acknowledging that the nature of the charges could elevate the risk of self-harm or suicide, according to reports presented in court.
Testimony at Winchester Coroner’s Court in Hampshire revealed that on June 4, 2023, Ms. Donaldson was detained by police and held at Aldershot police station. She was later released, after which she went missing.
Tragically, she was discovered hanged at her residence in Farnborough three days post-release.
Ms Donaldson had reached the semi-final of the ITV show in 2014 as part of the dance troupe Kings and Queens. Ms Donaldson performed alongside Strictly Come Dancing professionals Neil and Katya Jones.
Kerri-Anne Donaldson, who reached the semi-final of the ITV show in 2014 as part of the dance group Kings and Queens, was found dead at her home in Farnborough in June 2023
The young star died in June 2023 in her home town of Farnborough, Hampshire
Ms Donaldson (front row, second left) performed on Britain’s Got Talent in 2014 as part of the group Kings and Queens
After going missing, Ms Donaldson was found at a Travelodge, having overdosed, and taken to hospital where her sister Cara Donaldson said that she was told Ms Donaldson may need to be sectioned.
On June 6, Ms Donaldson was discharged, and Cara took her sister back to her own house, and left later that evening after she told her she would not kill herself.
The next morning, Cara went to her sister’s house and found a note at the stop of the staircase which said ‘Call 999, don’t come in, I’m sorry’. Ms Donaldson was declared dead that day.
Explaining why police carried out an enhanced risk assessment for Ms Donaldson, DCS McConnell said: ‘There was a study that identified a list of characteristics of offenders as putting them at increased risk of self harm or suicide.’
On Donaldson’s situation, she said: ‘In this case, child sex offending.’
DCS McConnell was not involved in the original investigation into Ms McConnell, but came to court to explain the risk assessment which was carried out.
She noted that Ms Donaldson was in an unusual situation, as she had been arrested for the offence but not charged.
Detective Constable Benjamin Harris, of Hampshire Constabulary, who led the investigation into the accusation against Ms Donaldson, told the inquest that the complainant was interviewed on video about the allegation.
When asked by the coroner Jason Pegg, Det Con Harris confirmed that the complainant had said that Ms Donaldson told them she would take her own life ‘if someone finds out’ about the allegation.
Det Con Harris said that he had considered the possibility that Ms Donaldson’s reported comments could be a ‘form of control’ against the complainant.
Britain’s Got Talent star Ms Donaldson took her own life three days after she was arrested on suspicion of a sexual offence
The court was also previously heard from DC Ben Harris, a police officer who had spoken to the alleged victim, who said that the offences were ‘of a serious nature’ and the circumstance in which she had met the alleged victim and how that developed were ongoing.
DC Harris said that threats of suicide were used ‘as a form of control in certain circumstances’.
‘It can often be said without the action of wanting to carry it out,’ he told the court.
He added: ‘Due to the nature of the offences from a police standpoint, we had the duty to make the arrest and question [whether] to put on our protection measures potentially protecting anyone who may have been made vulnerable from what had been reported to us.’
The psychiatric liaison nurse who initially assessed Ms Donaldson as having a high risk of suicide, Serina Juru, has told the court that Ms Donaldson said she thought she would face a prison sentence and couldn’t face that.
Ms Donaldson told a nurse that she feared being sent to jail and her reputation ruined and that she ‘didn’t want to live that life’.
During a psychiatric assessment, the coroner said that Ms Donaldson told Ms Juru: ‘She felt that arrest would tarnish herself, her company, and her general reputation.’
Dr David Enright, who discharged Ms Donaldson from the mental health team at the hospital, said that she wasn’t experiencing ‘suicidal ideation and wanted to be alive’ when he carried out his assessment of her.
Ms Donaldson performed on the ITV talent show in 2014 as part of the super-group Kings and Queens.
The dancer worked alongside many of Strictly’s biggest stars including Kevin Clifton who she performed with
Other members of the troupe included Kai Widdrington and Neil and Katya Jones, all three of whom later became professional dancers on Strictly.
Ms Donaldson’s sister said in a tribute in court: ‘Heart of gold, full of fun.
‘Brought happiness to life, especially mine.
‘Career driven, adored her family, adored her friends, fantastic dance teacher, known in the community, to everybody and everybody loved her.’
Paying tribute at the time of her death, Strictly professional Mr Jones said Ms Donaldson was ‘like a big sister’.
On X, formally Twitter, he wrote: ‘Kerri Anne Donaldson – remember that name and please never forget it because it belongs to a woman who loved to dance, create and perform, she had the cheekiest laugh and a heart of gold.’
The four day inquest continues.
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