A court’s ruled a 60 year old woman committed suicide – despite her body never being found.

Catherine Pridham of Peel went missing in April last year.

An inquest at Douglas Courthouse this morning was told a huge search was launched and her car was found at Niarbyl, along with prescription drugs.

A suicide note found at her home said she wanted to end her life without her family going through the pain of watching her die from breast cancer.

Coroner of Inquests John Needham said he was able to carry out an inquest if there was violence or misadventure involved in the case.

He heard the former chemistry teacher had researched lethal drug cocktails and suicide online.

Mr Needham said the evidence he’d heard suggested she would have succumbed to the cold water and drowned rather than dying from a combination of drugs.

He recorded a verdict of suicide.