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Drugs death of doting mother
A doting mother who
had a history of depression
died after taking a
cocktail of prescription
drugs and alcohol.
Denise Rose Hemsley, 41,
was found dead at her home
in Beauford Road, Horam,
on April 13 last year.
At the inquest into her
death in Eastbourne, East
Sussex Coroner Alan Craze
read a toxicology report
which found the former
garage attendant had taken
sleeping drugs tramadol and
temazipam, and drunk
enough alcohol to be more
than three times over the
legal drink-drive limit.
The inquest heard that
Mrs Hemsley, a mother of
two who was separated from
her husband and whose
teenage boys were at the
time being looked after by
her mother Jean Wickham,
had previously taken several
overdoses of prescription
drugs.
Mrs Wickham, of The
Rise, Horam, described these
as "cries for help".
The inquest heard Mrs
Hemsley was upset at having
been beaten up two
weeks before she died and
still had a black eye from the
attack.
She was found dead lying
curled up on her bedroom
floor.
Police officers found
empty drug packets
throughout the house and
an almost empty bottle
of vodka in a drinks cabinet.
Speaking as a witness at
the hearing, Mrs Wickham
said she had asked doctors
on several occasions to stop
prescribing her daughter
drugs when she was taking
them in bulk.
She said the doctors told
her they had reduced the
number of tablets Mrs Hemsley
was prescribed each
time to try to prevent an
overdose happening.
Mrs Wickham said she
had also asked the mental
health team dealing with her
daughter to section her
under the Mental Health Act
for her daughter's own protection
but to no avail.
Recording a verdict of
death by misadventure, Mr
Craze said: "This is a possible
suicide because it all
depends on what was going
through her mind when she
did it.
"I don't think it's possible
to say beyond reasonable
doubt that she wanted to kill
herself."
He said it was a shame
that Mrs Hemsley had not
made more use of the medical
and emotional support
that had been offered to her
by various agencies.
Speaking after the hearing,
Mrs Wickham said
her daughter was a character
who "liked to have a
laugh".
She added: "She loved
her two boys and she loved
life."
10:47am Wednesday 26th March 2008
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