TRAGIC Nicola Bulley's emotional partner today revealed she was "full of beans" on the night before she disappeared.
The mum-of-two, 45, was last seen in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, on January 27, after dropping her daughters off at school.
Tragically, her body was found in the river on February 19 – three weeks after she vanished.
The inquest into Nicola's death is continuing today in front of partner Paul Ansell, sister Louise Cunningham and parents Ernest and Dot Bulley.
Paul today told how Nicola was "full of beans" on the night before her disappearance.
He said she had suffered a mental health "blip" after starting hormone replace therapy for perimenopause.
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But he added: "She was getting back into her work, she was excited, it was going really well. She had worked so hard. She was happy about earning her own money and getting that independence again."
Paul confirmed the morning Nicola vanished was "normal" as the mum dropped their children off at school before heading to the field where she would usually do a two-loop walk.
He then told how he messaged his partner at 10.30am – around an hour after Nicola is believed to have fallen in the river.
Paul wrote: "Have you got lost?"
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He then received a phonecall 20 minutes later from the children's school saying Nicola's phone and dog Willow had been found.
When asked why the springer spaniel's harness was off and Nicola's phone left on the bench, Paul explained the dog restraint was usually removed when they entered the gate to the fields.
He believes Nicola would have left the phone, which was connected to a work call, on the bench while she went to put Willow's harness back on.
The dad said also had been planning to take her daughter to a gymnastics competition the following day as he called Nicola "an incredible mum, an amazing mum".
He then broke down and had to leave the room as he told how Nicola's daughters were her "absolute world".
After returning, Paul added: "She was grateful for every day, she was an amazing mum and partner and this gave her huge security.
"She focused on the important things and did the right thing by everyone.
"She was well-respected by all who knew her. Everybody loved her."
Paul's emotional evidence came after Louise sobbed while paying tribute to her "big sister" as she revealed details of her final weeks.
She described Nicola as "absolutely brilliant" and told how she was just returning to her "normal self" following a "blip" with her hormone replacement therapy.
Louise also said dog Willow was like Nicola's "third child" as she told how her sister "never, ever confided" in her about having suicidal thoughts.
Coroner Dr James Adeley asked: "If this was something she had thought about, taking her own life, would she just leave the dog in the field and go?"
Louise replied: "Absolutely not. There is no way Nikki would leave Willow unattended."
Preston County Hall heard how Nicola and Louise had childhood nicknames for each other – Clacker and Tosh.
On the morning she vanished, Louise had messaged her sister about booking a spa day.
Louise booked the spa day, then signed off a text to her at 8.52am with the words 'Tosher'.
The sister said: "Literally I was saying it was booked, but she never picked up the message."
The inquest was told police had attended a report of concern for welfare at Nicola’s home on January 10 but no arrests were made.
The inquest was told that Louise had called a mental health team asking for "some assistance".
The family had become concerned with the mum's increased alcohol use and had said she "didn't want to be here", it was alleged.
Louise said: "It was a bit of a wake-up call for her I think. She was fuming with me for calling the ambulance, she thought I had overreacted and maybe I did, but she is my sister and I was concerned.
"She started to get back to normal after that."
Partner Paul and Louise met police, a paramedic and Theresa Lewis Leevy – a mental health clinician – at the family home.
Ms Lewis Leevy said she spoke with Nicola in the bedroom and told the hearing she "appeared to be intoxicated".
The following day, the mum went to a walk-in centre saying she had had fallen and banged her head the previous night .
Nicola, who had started hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for perimenopause, also complained she was feeling drowsy and had been sick.
She was sent to A&E at Blackpool Victoria Infirmary where a CT scan found no internal injuries.
The hearing was also told Nicola had been struggling with sleep previously and her "brain felt overloaded".
Her former Dr Rebecca Gray said there was "nothing" in Nicola's medical records to suggest she was suicidal.
As the evidence came to a close, Nicola's parents Ernest and Dot revealed their final moments with their daughter.
The grandparents had been watching Nicola's two daughters at her home on the evening before she vanished while she was on a Zoom call.
Ernest told how he gave his daughter a kiss and a cuddle as Dot sadly added: "For the last time".
Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour, who carried out a post mortem on Nicola, yesterday gave her cause of death as drowning.
The expert said she believed Nicola was alive when she entered the water and confirmed there was no sign she had been assaulted before her death and no indication of third party involvement.
Dr Armour also confirmed Nicola had not been drinking before her death and had "therapeutic levels" of a beta blocker in her system.
The inquest was also told it is likely Nicola fell into the River Wyre from a "cliff-edge drop".
Once in the water, she travelled at a "metre a second" downstream in the "steady flow" of the river.
Her Fitbit watch and Mercedes car keys were discovered three weeks later when her Nicola's body was recovered.
The watch had stopped recording Nicola's steps at 9.30am on the day she disappeared.
DC Keith Greenhalgh said that due to analysis of her iPhone and Fitbit watch data, she “very possibly” entered the water at 9.22am.
A heart rate output was still given eight days after she died drowned before it lost power on February 4.
DC Greenhalgh said this possibly "could be a result of the movement of water passing between the device and Nicola’s wrist".
He added: "Testing on inanimate objects provided similar results when there was a movement in the water.”
The court was told the water was just 4C when Nicola vanished, which could lead to cold water shock and cause a person's muscles to seize up.
Diving expert Professor Mike Tipton said she would have lost consciousness almost instantly as a result of the temperature.
He also suggested she would have drowned in "one or two breaths" due to her size and the temperature of the water.
Tragically, Professor Tipton said she would have died "in less than minutes".
Nicola's disappearance gripped the nation after it was revealed her mobile was found on a bench by the river still connected to a work conference call.
Nicola's pet springer spaniel Willow was also discovered – but there was no trace still of the mum of two.
Pressure is now mounting on Lancashire Police over Nicola's disappearance after a series of blunders during the probe.
The mum's body was found by two dog walkers less than a mile from where she was last seen despite a "hugely complex and highly emotional" search.
The force also came under fire for disclosing painfully personal details of Nicola's struggle with alcohol and the perimenopause.
They confirmed she had "vulnerabilities" at the time she went missing and was a high-risk missing person.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were among officials questioning why the information was revealed.
The police watchdog also launched a probe into a "welfare check" carried out at Nicola's home just 17 days before she vanished.
An independent review is also being carried out over the force's handling of the case after being ordered by Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden.
The inquest continues.
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