A British bride who went to live in Gambia with her husband was found hanged after he told her he could not father children.

Simone Lally, 27, left her home in Lancashire for a new life with Mohammed  Jabakhanji, 29, and hoped to start a family.

But only a year after their beachside wedding, he discovered her dead in their home.

Tragic: Simone Jabakhanji moved to Africa from Lancashire to start a new life with her husband Mohammed but was found hanged at their home shortly after he discovered he was infertile

An inquest was told their  relationship was tempestuous from the start and marred by  frequent arguments.

The couple ran into problems when medical tests showed Mr Jabakhanji had been left infertile by his unhealthy lifestyle of smoking cannabis and drinking.

Just days before she died in August 2011, Mrs Jabakhanji called her mother and best friend to tell them she had fallen out with her husband and his family.

Mr Jabakhanji, who is from Ghana, reported the death at their home in the capital Banjul and was initially arrested on suspicion of murder. He was later released without charge.

Happier times: Simone and her husband, who was known as Carlos, pictured on their wedding day in a Gambian beach ceremony

The hearing, held in  Preston, was told that Mrs Jabakhanji had been travelling to Gambia for many years and met her future husband in 2009.

The couple were married in a beachside ceremony there on  Valentine’s Day 2010 attended by her family, including brother Paul and mother Janice.

Mrs Lally said she spoke to her daughter about her husband, who was known as Carlos, on the evening of her death.

‘She had phoned because she and Carlos had an argument, she always wanted to speak with me or her friend when they had an  argument,’ she said.

Mrs Lally said she had concerns about the relationship as her daughter complained that her husband had become aggressive after returning from Ghana, where tests had revealed his infertility.

She said her daughter was used to her husband going ‘into his own space’ for days after a row and then  pretending nothing had happened.

Mrs Lally told the hearing: ‘She said “I suppose I can put up with that instead of him breaking my legs”. When I spoke to her on the  Friday, she was frightened of Carlos.

‘I spoke to him eventually and he promised me that he would look after her.’

Despite the devastating news that her new husband could be infertile Mrs Jabakhanji’s mother Janice said she seemed ‘normal’ when they spoke on the day of her death

Just hours later, Mrs Lally spoke to him again. She said: ‘I had a phone call off Carlos two minutes after midnight.

‘He was crying. I kept asking, “What’s the matter?” He said, “It’s Simone, she’s dead”.’

Close friend Abigail Stone told the inquest that she had also spoken to Mrs Jabakhanji via video link on the day of her death.

She said the couple had a furious row after Mr Jabakhanji accused his wife of disrespecting his family.

Miss Stone advised her friend to return to England but she insisted on remaining with her husband.

Coroner Simon Jones said there had been no co-operation from the Gambian authorities over the death, despite repeated requests.

No autopsy was carried out in Gambia and the body had been embalmed before repatriation to England.

Mr Jones recorded an open verdict, saying: ‘There is very little information about the circumstances.’

It was not possible to be certain Mrs Jabakhanji meant to end her life, he added. ‘That would be at odds with conversations she had with  family and friends. Similarly there is no evidence to suggest anyone else was involved.’

Read more: Daily Mail