Mum-of-four, 37, found dead next to ill daughter's bed in Stoke hospital horror

Stoke-on-Trent pathologists recovered traces of respective antithetic drugs successful 37-year-old Lindsey Owen's body, and concluded she fell into a deep, drug-induced slumber earlier she died

A "kind" mum-of-four died portion tending to her young kid portion she was unwell successful an NHS hospital, with horrified unit discovering her assemblage successful a furniture adjacent to her daughter's.

Lindsey Owen passed distant astatine her daughter's bedside successful a backstage country astatine the Royal Stoke University Hospital children's ward successful Stoke-on-Trent past May. The 37-year-old mum's lifeless assemblage was discovered by infirmary staffers carrying retired a regular cheque connected her child, who recovered her curled connected a fold-up infirmary bed.

An inquest has since determined the mum had taken a cocktail of drugs before her death, with forensic pathologists concluding she died arsenic a effect of "mixed-drug intoxication". The inquest heard the mum, who lived connected Bold Street, successful Northwood, had been trying to wean herself disconnected substances, with coroners proceeding she had been utilizing from a young age.

The inquest heard that ward unit had readied 3 bottles of methadone to prescribe the mum to assistance wean her disconnected drugs, but it was suggested she whitethorn person utilized earlier her death. CCTV showed the mum exiting the infirmary the time prior, during which the inquest heard she was suspected of having taken drugs.

Forensic pathologist Brett Lockyer recovered the mum had traces of six drugs successful her strategy erstwhile she died, each of which "contributed to her death" by suppressing her breathing and forcing her into a heavy sleep. The mum, the coroner said, would not person "known thing astir what was happening to her".

Mr Lockyer said: "I gave the origin of decease arsenic mixed-drug intoxication. The drugs which person contributed to her decease included a substance of diamorphine oregon heroin, methadone, gabapentin, mirtazapine, codeine, and diazepam. All of those drugs together, they would person acted unneurotic successful bid to origin her decease by suppressing her respiratory strategy and causing her to spell into a heavy sleep.

"Lindsey would not person known thing astir what was happening to her. She would person conscionable wandered disconnected into a precise heavy slumber and past passed distant portion she was sleeping." Family and friends of the mum person since paid their respects, and acceptable up a fundraiser successful her memory.

The GoFundMe leafage included a heartfelt tribute from Lyndsey's sister Claudia, who remembered her sibling arsenic a arrogant genitor who "have done thing to support the radical she loved". She wrote connected the page: "She would person fixed her past penny to anyone successful need. She was genuinely a benignant idiosyncratic who didn't merit to permission the world this soon."