Mum Amie Barnes was on a waiting list for spinal surgery but was taking painkillers to combat the agony. She died after taking too many tablets by accident
A mum-of-three was found dead by her boyfriend after taking painkillers in a bid to manage back pain, an inquest heard. Amie Barnes, 37, was on a waiting list for spinal surgery and took the pills to combat pain before going under the knife.
An inquest into her death was told that she and her partner Jack shared a bottle of wine and a takeaway before going to bed. The following morning, Jack left early for work and said goodbye to Amie. When he came back to the house, he found her lying face down in bed and realised she was dead.
Paramedics and police were called and Amie’s death initially treated as suspicious due to a suggestion of a facial injury and blood on her mouth. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.
However, this was later found to be pooling of blood, and contouring caused by Amie falling asleep with her vape underneath her, reports the Mirror.
A post-mortem CT scan found no natural cause of death but toxicology tests revealed that the 37-year-old, who worked as a midwife at hospitals in Blackpool and Preston, had taken several painkillers prior to her death.
There was also a very small amount of alcohol in her system.
At the inquest, held at Preston Coroners’ Court, assistant coroner Richard Taylor said that although individually the painkillers wouldn’t have caused Amie’s death, “the concomitant use may have caused significant sedation which, in the absence of any other cause, may have resulted in her death”.
Amie’s GP said in a statement that she had consulted the surgery on several occasions over the seven months before she died. She was prescribed various different painkillers to manage chronic back pain while she was on the waiting list for spinal surgery at Salford Royal Hospital.
Detective Sergeant Jamie Robinson, from Blackpool Police, explained how officers ruled out any third-party involvement in Amie’s death.
“When we arrived, Amie was lying on the floor with a cover over her,” DS Robinson said. “That wasn’t where she was found, she had been moved by the paramedics.
“She was found face down and blood pools to the lowest part of the body and that explains how she was found. She also had a vape under her face and that may have caused her face to contour.”
The coroner returned a conclusion of misadventure and said: “It seems to me more likely than not that this was unintended and that is what we call misadventure; death is the unintended consequence of an intended act.
“She may have intended to take painkillers, she was in pain, she has had a drink and may have taken more than was sensible, and that is not being judgemental.”
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