Head injury led to woman’s death

A Long Melford woman was found dead by a neighbour who had been alerted by a smoke alarm sounding, an inquest heard.

Kathleen Frost, 63, had suffered an injury to her head which led to considerable blood loss.

Initially, police were called to her home in Chadburn Road on July 28 last year by paramedics who thought there were potentially suspicious circumstances.

However, a detailed investigation concluded that no offences had been committed, the inquest in Bury St Edmunds heard on Friday.

Mrs Frost had been found by a neighbour who heard a smoke alarm sounding, said Suffolk coroner Dr Peter Dean.

The daughter of Mrs Frost said in a statement that her mother had a number of medical issues.

Tracy Frost said her mother had twice been hospitalised in the preceding two months after suffering seizures and falls, and had also been seen by her GP.

A post-mortem examination conducted by consultant pathologist Dr Benjamin Swift found that Mrs Frost had suffered a small scalp wound from which there had been considerable loss of blood, possibly enough to cause a sudden fall in her blood pressure.

Dr Swift said that he also found bruising consistent with staggering into objects, collapsing or repeated falls.

Prescribed painkillers taken by Mrs Frost were found to be present at a higher than usual level.

Recording a narrative conclusion that Mrs Frost died as a result of complications following a head injury, Dr Dean said: “It appears that there may have been another accidental fall, indeed another seizure.”