Mystery still surrounds woman's sudden death as her mum says inquest has not answered questions
A MUM laid bare her anguish at an inquest into her daughter's death after insisting: '˜There are so many questions to be answered.'
Katrina Fennell was found dead at her Holbeach Close address in June last year in mysterious circumstances.
The 43-year-old had been at her friend Laura Mitchell’s house enjoying a bottle of Lambrini wine and Stella Artois lager when she suddenly got up and left, saying she had a stomach ache – never to be seen alive by anyone again as far as anyone knew.
‘She asked for a painkiller and then just got up and went. She was not drunk and didn’t seem that ill – it was more like she was going to meet someone,’ Ms Mitchell told Portsmouth Coroner’s Court.
Ms Mitchell added: ‘I rang her and left messages but heard nothing back but that was not unusual.’
After a few days had passed in which no one had heard from Ms Fennell the alarm was raised by a neighbour, who noticed there had been no lights on at her address over recent days. When Ms Mitchell – who had a key to the property – and another friend turned up to check on Ms Fennell they were left horrified after discovering her slumped over a mattress.
The deceased’s mum Sheila Fennell said she was confused after hearing ‘conflicting stories’ from her daughter’s friends.
Police did not treat the death as suspicious.
Pathologist Adnan Al-Badri said the death was down to cardiac arrest due to cocaine and amphetamine use which were found in her blood, though not enough for an overdose.
Ms Fennell said: ‘She had always struggled with drink and drugs but was coming out of a bad year of her life’ and had turned a corner.
Coroner David Horsley recorded an accidental death verdict.
But Ms Fennell added: ‘There are still so many questions. Something’s not right.’