A woman described as a “troubled soul” was found dead with a black bin liner over her head.

Pandora Jordan’s behaviour had become more unpredictable in the months leading up to her death and she believed people were trying to kill her.

The 56-year-old, of Henley Road, Whitehawk, Brighton, was found dead on her kitchen floor on July 3, with the bag over her head and a tube running from the bag to the gas hob, which had been left on. She had died from plastic bag suffocation.

Pathologist Mark Taylor told the Brighton inquest yesterday that although the gas played a part in her death, it would not have killed her.

Mrs Jordan was found by her sister Collette Lawson who had arranged to visit her that day. It is believed Mrs Jordan may have been dead for about a week as no one had spoken to her since June 24.

Mrs Jordan had been a vivacious child but her moods became more erratic as she grew up, the court heard.

She had made at least two attempts to take her life in the past – once in 2003 when she took an overdose and also in April this year.

The court heard that Mrs Jordan had married when she was 23 but divorced her husband ten years later. At the time she told her sister that she believed he was trying to kill her.

She moved to France after they split up and set up a gift shop business with the help of a friend. He became her boyfriend but they later split up.

Mrs Lawson said her sister became increasingly concerned he was involved in peculiar business dealings and believed her life was in danger, although there was no proof of this.

Mrs Jordan moved to Brighton in 2004. Her mother Margaret Clark said she seemed happy at first and got a job as a receptionist in a doctor’s surgery.

But her depression, paranoia and anxiety returned and she started to drink a lot. She was prescribed anti-psychotic drugs by the doctor but was not taking them properly, the court heard. In February this year Mrs Jordan left her job at the surgery claiming she had been victimised.

Mrs Lawson said: “She was very happy for the first month but then she started acting in a strange way.

“She had periods of aggression and hostility, alternating with being rather quiet and she was drinking quite a lot. She had totally lost confidence in herself.”

On the morning of April 27 she rang two former colleagues and told them the lives of the people working at the surgery were in danger and that there was a massive fraud involving the Channel Tunnel, the Government, the police and Tony Blair.

She had also told her sister she believed her phone was tapped and people were following her. She was taken to hospital later that day with a suspected overdose and then referred to her GP for aftercare.

In June, she was spoken to by two doctors who believed she was taking her medication. She had an appointment with the doctor on June 30 but never attended.

Deputy Coroner John Hooper recorded a verdict of suicide.