Cause of death given for tragic Portsmouth mum Beth Martin - update
The cause of death has been given for a Portsmouth mum who tragically died while on holiday with her family in Turkey.
Beth Martin, 28, died mysteriously after becoming ill when flying out to Turkey on April 27 with her husband Luke and their two children, aged five and eight.
As reported, Luke’s nightmare began upon arrival when Beth became “delirious” and unwell before she was eventually taken to low-rated Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul but died two days later. The heartbroken dad had to deliver the devastating news to his distraught children before they flew home and he stayed on to bring his wife’s body home.
The horrific turn of events was also compounded when grieving Luke was subjected to false murder claims of poisoning his beloved wife. Meanwhile, he and his mum and mother-in-law - who had flown out - were kept in the dark by hospital and police authorities over Beth’s condition and subsequently her death.
Once the family was belatedly told Beth had died, they were made to carry her body in a bag through the hospital in a raft of claims levelled against Turkish authorities.
The desperate tragedy, first reported by The News on May 21, has led to an outpouring of emotion and support from people across the globe - with a fundraiser to support devastated Luke and his children now having raised over a whopping £263,000 at the time of writing.
As previously reported, the Turkish Ministry of Health had revealed Beth died after a “cardiac arrest due to multiple organ failure” - but did not say what caused this. Officials also said Beth “did not undergo any surgical procedures” during a preliminary autopsy at the hospital, but would not say whether this was also true after she was transferred to the Forensic Medicine Institute for a second autopsy.
The Health Ministry said: “The patient was recorded in the hospital records as a ‘forensic case’ in line with the statement of Martin's wife that they may have been poisoned by a meal they ate in their country before the trip, and the initial findings.
“A preliminary autopsy [without incision] was performed at the hospital in accordance with the forensic case procedure and his wife's request in this regard.
“The exact cause of Martin's death could not be determined with the current findings in the preliminary autopsy, which was carried out with the participation of the Public Prosecutor and the forensic medicine doctor.
“Beth Martin did not undergo any surgical procedures during her treatment at the hospital, and there was no question of any organs being removed.”
Now, though, a new report has claimed the mum died from food poisoning, according to local media outlet Sozcu. The report, by the Forensic Medicine Institution, said: "It has been concluded that (Beth) Martin's death occurred as a result of food poisoning and its complications."
The report added there was no evidence she died from "traumatic effects". A full examination of Beth's heart had been completed with tissue samples taken at the hospital which are due to be returned to British authorities.