A WINCHESTER woman died of an epileptic fit which initially the police treated as potentially suspicious.

Elizabeth Palmer, 55, was found dead at her flat in Dummer Mews, St Cross Road, on January 30, an inquest heard.

The former nurse was discovered by her mother Julia Kime after she had been unable to get through on the phone. Mrs Palmer, who was divorced, lived there alone

Mrs Kime, of Market Street, Winchester, told the hearing that her daughter's head was trapped under the bed.

But Dr Adnan Al-Badri, consultant pathologist, said a post-mortem showed that a seizure had likely caused a cardiac arrest.

The hearing was told that Mrs Palmer had several chronic health issues including bipolar disorder and an alcohol problem.

Winchester coroner's court Winchester coroner's court

Until a brain operation she had suffered about four seizures a year, said Mrs Kime.

But she had reduced her alcohol intake after Christmas 2017 and there was no alcohol in the system at the post-mortem, said Dr Al-Badri.

PC Matthew Deakin, of Winchester police, said there were marks on her neck and the death was "unusual and potentially suspicious." CID were called in but later that day the death's category was changed to unexplained but not suspicious.

Mrs Kime raised the issue of the reduction in the dosage of an anti-epileptic drug Carbamazapine in November, a few months before her death, and whether that meant a seizure more likely.

Senior coroner Grahame Short said: "I don't believe the medication (Carbamazapine) was causative of her death. Even all controlled epileptics can suffer a seizure at any time."

He added: "It was the seizure which led to her death. There was no involvement of alcohol or other drugs.

"Although unexpected it was natural causes. It was the result of epilepsy. Sadly. she was alone and no-one could help here and she suffered the consequences and died."