Woman dies just days after her partner’s death

Woman dies just days after her partner’s death

A CLEVEDON woman drank herself to death through grief after losing her partner to cancer.

Victoria Cook, aged 28, died at Weston General Hospital on December 28 after being admitted a day earlier with a stomach bleed caused by alcohol abuse.

Mrs Cook, of Somerton Road, died just over a week after her beloved partner, who finally lost his battle with cancer of the kidneys.

At an inquest into her death at Flax Bourton Coroner’s Court on Thursday, Mrs Cook’s GP Steven Bunce, from Clevedon Riverside Group, confirmed Mrs Cook had a history of alcohol abuse, multiple overdoses and depression and that her drinking had increased since the death of her partner.

The court also heard how Mrs Cook was thought to have taken a quantity of painkillers before she died.

A post mortem confirmed Mrs Cook had cirrhosis of the liver, a side effect of alcohol dependence, and had a blood alcohol level of 161mg - double the limit for driving - when she died. No trace of painkillers was found in her system.

Jon Oxley, who carried out the post mortem, said Mrs Cook died from a stomach haemorrhage.

The secondary cause of death was recorded as esophageal varices (varicose veins of the esophagus) which was caused by liver cirrhosis due to chronic alcohol abuse.

Assistant deputy coroner Terrence Moore recorded a verdict of death caused by alcohol dependency.