A Bolton mum killed herself and her two daughters with a drug overdose fearing they lived in a "corrupt world", an inquest heard.
Tiffany Stevens was found dead alongside one-year-old Darcey Stevens and three-year-old Casey-Lea Taylor at their home in Little Lever in 2019.
All three were discovered surrounded by discarded syringes and empty pill packets.
Alarm bells started to ring when no one was able to contact Tiffany for a week.
Her concerned brother and former partner visited her terraced home on Arthur Street on January 21.
When they knocked and got no reply, they decided to break in through the back door.
What they discovered inside was a disturbing scene.
Tiffany was lying on a mattress on her living room floor. Beside her, underneath a duvet, was the body of little Casey-Lea.
Next to them were cups containing a bright green liquid. There was also an empty pack of painkillers, a melted lollipop, syringes and a bottle of orange juice.
READ MORE: Paedophile bombarded girl with vile messages - but he picked the wrong family to target
In the corner of the room, one-year-old Darcey sat lifeless in her pram with the rain cover down.
Tragically, they were all dead.
A chilling note later discovered on Tiffany's iPhone read: "I've chosen to kill us for my children's best interests."
An inquest at Bolton Coroner's Court heard how Tiffany had struggled with suicidal thoughts and paranoia for several years.
With a "difficult and challenging" upbringing, she moved into a care home when she was just 11-years-old.
During this time, she developed a mistrust in authorities.
At the age of 18, she spent most of her time Googling conspiracy theories, worsening her paranoid state.
Other notes in her phone revealed she thought the world was "corrupt".
She had a history of harming herself and even committed to a "suicide pact" with a friend just weeks before her death.
The pair agreed to end their lives in a hotel.
Police said Tiffany visited a Travelodge in Bolton on December 9 with Darcey and Casey-Lea.
But when her friend saw the children, she immediately pulled out of the pact as that "had not been part of the agreement".
Speaking to the court, Tiffany's grandmother, Bobby-Jo Stevens, said: "She spent too much time doing research on bad things and corrupt people in life, the police and social services.
"She asked if I could sew microphones into Casey-Lea's dress so she could hear what teachers were saying to her at nursery.
"She said she wanted to get me and the other children together, kill us all and take her own life. That was a few years ago.
"She was very, very paranoid. She just thought the world was corrupt and bad and no matter how much you tried to reason with her, it was just a bad world.
"She was poorly, that's why she did it. That’s all I can say. She wasn’t in the right mind.”
A pathology report found Darcey and Casey-Lea died by drug toxicity.
During a post-mortem analysis, forensic pathologist Phillip Lumb said Darcey was found with a swollen brain and pneumonia on her lungs.
She had also consumed a very high concentration of a pain relief drug.
It's believed the one-year-old consumed the drug through drinking. Due to the "fatal range" of the dose, it was ruled as her cause of death.
An examination found Casey-Lea had three needle puncture marks in her abdomen.
Her brain had also swelled and she had a gritty substance in her stomach, indicating tablets had been consumed.
In her system, medics found a very high level of two separate drugs.
Another substance was detected along with painkillers used by Tiffany’s grandmother. She believes Tiffany obtained these from her home.
The combination of drugs caused her breathing to slow and eventually stopped her heart.
Tiffany's post-mortem found four needle puncture marks in her abdomen.
Results showed she had a high concentration of a pain relief drug in her system.
Professor Lumb said the dosage alone could have caused her death.
A mix of other substances were also found in her blood stream.
Police said it’s likely Darcey died first, followed by Casey-Lea and then Tiffany.
Speaking at the inquest, detective inspector Thorpe said: “I am satisfied Tiffany administered fatal levels of drugs to Casey-Lea, Darcey and herself.
“Syringes and bottles were examined and the only DNA found was Tiffany’s. There was no evidence of third-party involvement.”
It's believed all three died a week before they were found. A murder inquiry was launched following the discovery.
Bobby-Jo became tearful as the evidence was read out in court, asking Professor Lumb: "Can you tell me they didn't suffer, please?"
He told her the children would have most likely fallen asleep without feeling any pain.
The inquest heard how Tiffany was referred to mental health services at least eight times but failed to respond on each occasion.
The young mum had a history of mental health problems including depression, anxiety and post-natal depression.
She had previously been prescribed antidepressants.
Giving evidence at the inquest, Dr Adrian West, a psychologist clinician, said Tiffany "did not have a good start in life" having been exposed to tragedy from a young age.
The court heard how her father died from a drug overdose when she was just five-years-old.
Tiffany visited doctors after taking an overdose herself as a teenager, sparking fears she may have suffered from bipolar disorder.
But an assessment by a psychiatrist found this was not the case - believing she showed emotionally unstable disorder traits.
Her former partner, Liam Taylor, the father of Casey-Lea, told the court Tiffany "changed" after falling pregnant with their child.
She feared she would be judged due to her time spent in care but wanted to prove herself as a "brilliant mum".
Mr Taylor said Tiffany became extremely paranoid regarding contact with social services.
It came after she was placed on a child protection plan following the birth of Casey-Lea in 2015.
The court heard how when Tiffany was pregnant, there were worries over home conditions at her mother’s house, where she was living at the time.
However, these concerns were not considered to have an impact on Tiffany’s ability to meet Casey-Lea's needs.
Problems worsened when Tiffany moved into her home on Arthur Street and began distancing herself from social workers.
Her family say she became terrified her daughters would be taken away from her.
The court heard how she threatened to kill herself and her children if "social services and the police visited the address".
A spokesman for Bolton Council said the relevant services are being reviewed in light of the tragic deaths.
Casey-Lea and Darcey are now the subject of a serious case review to safeguard and promote the safety of children.
Assistant coroner for Manchester West, Peter Sigee, was told how Tiffany carried out numerous searches for suicide methods online.
Several notes written in her iPhone revealed she believed she would go to a fifth dimension following death and reincarnate.
One note read: "If I die and leave my children behind, they would end up in care."
A separate note, referring to the painkillers taken from her grandmother’s address, said: “The truth is, I stole the drugs to kill us.”
In a note written on December 9 in 2018, Tiffany added: "It feels pointless trying to explain the life I could have been living if it was not for the situation I was put in.
"No one would believe me anyway. Everyone always assumed I was a nobody."
Dr Adrian West told the court he believed Tiffany may have felt an element of burden or shame about her past.
Giving evidence, he did not believe she was suffering from psychosis at the time of the deaths.
Concluding the inquest, assistant coroner Peter Sigee ruled Casey-Lea and Darcey were unlawfully killed.
He concluded Tiffany died from suicide.
