Father issues statement after inquest finds three sisters died by suicide on Brighton beach

The father of the three sisters who died by suicide at Brighton Beach earlier this year has issued an emotional statement paying tribute to his 'precious daughters'.

On Thursday (8 October), an inquest ruled that sisters Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walter, 32, and Rebecca Walter, 31, took their own lives when they were swept out to sea at Brighton Beach.

Their bodies were pulled from the water near Madeira Drive earlier this year on 13 May, sending shockwaves through the UK.

Sussex Police said there was no evidence to suggest criminality or that anyone else was involved, with the force noting that the sisters had fatefully 'entered the water near to where their bodies were found'.

Concluding the inquest into their deaths, senior coroner Penelope Schofield said on Thursday (8 October): "On May 13, in hours of darkness, they entered the sea at Brighton, they could not swim and sea conditions were adverse."

Ms Schofield said that the reason behind their decision to enter the water 'sadly may never be known'.

(Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

The coroner concluded the medical cause of death for all three women - who she said were 'incredibly private' and 'lived very secluded lives' - was drowning and that they died by suicide.

Now, following the devastating news from today's inquest, the sisters' father Joseph Jacobsen has spoken out.

In a poignant statement read on his behalf, he said that he watched his daughters grow from little girls to beautiful, intelligent women 'with a special place in my heart'.

"There are no words that can adequately express the pain of losing a child," Joseph's statement read.

"To lose all three of my precious daughters is a heartbreak beyond anything I could ever have imagined."

'May your beautiful souls rest in perfect peace'

He said that he 'could not understand why his daughters' lives ended so suddenly, and hoped they were reunited with their mother in God's eternal care'.

Joseph added: "You were my daughters, you will always be my daughters and I will love you for the rest of my life. May your beautiful souls rest in perfect peace."

The inquest heard how the day before their deaths on 12 May, the sisters had visited a lake where their mother, Janice Adetoro, had died in Birmingham over a decade ago.

Janice's body was sadly recovered from the lake in 2010.

They then took a pre-booked taxi to Brighton and arrived in the seaside town after 10pm, with their Uber driver noting that there was a lack of conversation during their journey.

(Handout)

The sisters were then seen on CCTV at different along Brighton’s east beach and appeared to pace the seafront in the darkness. They were captured on surveillance footage for the final time at 2.42am on 13 May.

There was not any evidence of any drugs or alcohol in their bodies, according to a post-mortem examination.

Joseph previously spoke out about his heartbreak earlier this year, saying that Jane, Christina and Rebecca had been 'in the prime of their lives'.

The devastated dad described his daughters as his 'joy and strength' in a statement released in May, which went on to say: "Each of you was unique and precious in your own special way.

"Your smiles brightened dark days, your laughter brought comfort, and your presence made life more meaningful. Though your time on earth was short, the impact you made will remain in our hearts forever."