A BASINGSTOKE woman died alone from a suspected overdose on Christmas Eve, an inquest heard.  

A friend raised concerns about Lynne Cheryl Hill after she was unable to contact her on December 24, 2019.

The friend's carer climbed through the window of Lynne's flat in Worsam Court, Chiltern Way. 

Tragically, the 66-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. 

At an inquest into her death on Tuesday, January 12, Winchester Coroner's Court heard how she died from a suspected drug overdose after battling depression for over 20 years.

A toxicology report from the post-mortem found two drugs Venlafaxine and amitriptyline used to treat her depression were found in her system at 'toxic level'.  

The court heard from a police officer who found Lynne who said she no apparent injuries and there was no evidence of third-party involvement. 

PC Judd told the inquest the flat showed signs ‘consistent with possible self-neglect’ and signs of significant alcohol use.

The property was said to have been cluttered and messy with ‘over 200 empty cans of alcoholic beverages’ and a sofa covered in a ‘thick layer of dust visible to the eye’.

The fridge also contained a sealed packet of bacon that was nearly seven months out of date.

While the court heard the overdose was 'unlikely' to be an accident, given that Lynne had been taking the drugs for a number of years, the coroner said there was no further evidence such as a note to suggest suicide.  

Recording their verdict, coroner Jason Pegg said: “The appropriate conclusion to me seems to be one of an open conclusion.

“It is unclear to me why Lynne Hill had toxic quantities of both venlafaxine and amitriptyline within her body when she died.

“Whether it was deliberately or accidentally, it is simply unclear.”

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