Colette needed help not an ASBO
THE devastated family of a bright young solicitor whose life was blighted by drink today said she was failed by the
authorities.
Colette Cowap became the first lawyer in the UK to be given an Anti-social Behaviour Order after a string of alcohol-related incidents.
Yesterday, just four days after the interim order was imposed by police, the 38-year-old was found dead at her St Annes home.
She was found by her father Bryan, 68, who today hit out at those he said should have helped his daughter.
He said: "Colette was such an intelligent, witty child, and so well loved.
"We had tried to help her so many times, but she always said the vodka was her best friend and she couldn't give up.
"She needed help, but there was nothing for her – social services were useless.
"Colette used to go to the Parkwood unit at Blackpool Victoria to dry out, but they stopped taking alcoholics two years ago.
"If she was on drugs there would have been people falling all over themselves to help her, but people don't understand about alcoholism. She needed help not an Asbo. I think that pushed her over the edge."
One of four children, Miss Cowap had suffered with a drink problem for 10 years.
The graduate of Manchester Metropolitan University and Chester Law College had been drinking in a garden shed at the family home in Dobson Avenue on the day she died.
It was there Colette's distraught father found her.
After being handed the Asbo last Friday, Miss Cowap was told she could not drink alcohol in a public place, use taxis or "loiter" in the accident and emergency unit or grounds of Blackpool Victoria Hospital.
The former legal high-flier was terrified of the consequences, according to sister Julie, 29.
She said: "She didn't want to go to prison so she wasn't going out. She was so vulnerable and people would take advantage of her. She had lost everything, how was an Asbo supposed to help?
"The bottom has fallen out of my world, we loved her so much. I'll remember her as such a charmer. She was so quick and could turn anything into a comedy, everybody loved her.
"Colette had such a good heart and would do anything to help anybody, but couldn't help herself."
The family are still waiting for the results of a post-mortem which should establish how Miss Cowap died.
It is believed she may have suffered a heart attack, but a post-mortem has yet to be carried out. A coroner's inquiry will also be held to establish what led to Miss Cowap's death.
A Lancashire Police spokesman said: "We can confirm there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding Miss Cowap's death."
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