A Canadian teenager was found by paramedics with fatal stab wounds during a trip to see the British boyfriend she met online, an inquest has heard.

       Ashley Wadsworth, 19, was found dead in bed at a house in Chelmsford, Essex, on February 1.

       The teenager, originally from Vernon, British Columbia, was on a six-month tourist visa and came to the UK last year after meeting Jack Sepple, 23, on a dating app. He has been charged with her murder.

       An inquest into her death was opened yesterday at Essex Coroner’s Court in Chelmsford.

       The coroner’s officer said: “This inquest concerns the death of Ashley Anne Wadsworth who died on February 1 2022.

       “Ashley, originally from Canada, passed away at an address in Tennyson Avenue, Chelmsford.”

       Paramedics found Ms Wadsworth “unresponsive” after rushing to the scene and she was declared dead at 4.38pm, the hearing was told.

       A post-mortem examination was carried out on February 4 and the “provisional cause of death was given as stab wounds to the chest”, the inquest heard.

       Lincoln Brookes, senior coroner for Essex, said the inquest process would be adjourned until the completion of the criminal proceedings in the case.

       In a tribute released through Essex Police, Ms Wadsworth's family described her as a “kind” and “beautiful” woman.

       They said she had a “spontaneous, witty, kind personality”, an “unforgettable laugh”, and was “fiercely loving and loyal to her family and friends”.

       The family, who police said are currently not able to be in Essex, said they admired the teenager's sense of adventure and that she had travelled extensively within Canada, as well as to Mexico, California and England.

       She spoke three languages - English, French and Spanish - and travelling “encouraged her love of language”, they said.

       The family said she dreamed of becoming a lawyer, strived for good grades, and had been accepted at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Colombia.

       They thanked those who organised a vigil for the teenager in Chelmsford, adding: “Ashley, you are beautiful to us, and we will miss you very, very much.

       “It has touched us so deeply, there are truly no words to express our gratitude.

       “They were able to do something for Ashley that we couldn't, and we will be forever thankful.

       “How lucky are we to have people from across the world care so much about a family that they have never met?”