A woman was found dead in her kitchen with a large bruise on her head.
But police told an inquest into the death of Moyra Louise Capon there was no evidence of third party involvement.
Reading Town Hall
The hearing, held in Reading Town Hall on Thursday, January 2, was told, instead, that the 47-year-old’s death was likely due to a heart condition brought on by abuse of cocaine and of black market methadone – a powerful opioid commonly prescribed as a heroin substitute.
Her body was discovered in her home in Gainsborough Avenue, Kintbury, by friends and neighbours on February 25 last year.
Stephanie Williams told the hearing she last saw Ms Capon two days before, when they had shared a few beers after shopping.
Ms Williams said in a statement she became concerned when she was unable to contact her friend via text or phone call.
Eventually she asked Rebecca Lees and Joe Clough for help.
Mr Clough brought a ladder and climbed in through an upstairs window before opening the front door, the hearing was told.
Inside, they found Ms Capon lying, lifeless, on the kitchen floor and called emergency services.
Medics said there were no life-saving opportunities.
Police noted the bruise on her head but determined there were no suspicious circumstances.
A post mortem examination found prescription drugs plus cocaine and unprescribed methadone in her system.
The inquest heard that Ms Capon had previously used Class A controlled drugs but was not addicted to heroin at the time of her death – thus rendering her more vulnerable to a fatal opioid overdose.
A pathologist said the amount of methadone alone in her system could have been fatal, depending on her contemporary tolerance level.
Combined with cocaine and prescribed drugs, it likely led to a fatal heart arrhythmia, the inquest heard.
It was determined that the bruise above Ms Capon’s eye was probably caused when she collapsed on to the floor.
Assistant Berkshire coroner Katie Thorne KC said death was due to the combined toxic effects of cocaine and methadone which had rendered Ms Capon vulnerable to cardiac arrhythmia.
She concluded that Ms Capon had died a drug-related death.