A VERDICT of death by misadventure was recorded yesterday after an inquest in Cork heard how a woman died in her sleep after consuming a bottle of vodka and taking sedative drugs.
Sandra Murphy (46), Mayfield, died at her boyfriend's house on November 6th from a combination of alcohol and prescription drugs.
Thomas Moore told Cork Coroner's Court yesterday that Ms Murphy had been staying with him at Lower Friar's Walk, Bally- phehane, that Tuesday night.
He said they were listening to music and drinking. Ms Murphy drank a bottle of vodka by herself which Mr Moore said was not un- usual for her, while he consumed a half bottle of port. When he went to sleep at about 2am, she was awake listening to an Eagles CD.
Mr Moore woke up at about 3.30am to go to the toilet. When he got back into bed, he cuddled into Ms Murphy but found that she felt cold. Unable to wake her, he called the emergency services.
He said she had been on tablets for a heart problem and was on sleeping tablets. He had known her for 10 months and she had lived with him on and off. He said she drank an average of five bottles of vodka a week and took one or two sleeping tablets every night.
She had been diagnosed with a heart murmur and was awaiting an appointment with the Mercy Hospital. For the three weeks before her death, she had only been eating soup and bread as she could not hold food down.
Garda Darren Cahalan told the inquest that there were no distinctive marks or bruising on the body or any evidence of foul play.
In her postmortem report, Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster noted a very high level of alcohol in the blood and urine of the deceased - 402mg alcohol per 100ml of blood and 442mg of alcohol per 100ml urine.
The cause of death, in her opinion, was acute alcohol intoxication in association with the ingestion of sedative-type drugs. The drugs and alcohol caused the depression of the central nervous system and had an additive effect.
Cork city coroner Dr Myra Cullinane said any blood alcohol levels above 355mg were potentially fatal. She noted that Ms Murphy's blood level might not have gone so high if she had been eating a better diet. She recorded a verdict of death due to misadventure.
