A mother-of-two killed herself on the day of her lover's funeral.

Kaya Sherwood deliberately took a lethal cocktail of drugs and alcohol days after boyfriend Roy Bethell had died, accidentally, the same way.

An inquest at Chelmsford Coroner's Court yesterday (Thursday) heard Mrs Sherwood found Mr Bethell, 33, dead at his home in Mascalls Way, Great Baddow, on August 6.

Years earlier she had found her first husband's body in the same circumstances.

Coroner's officer Stephen Parfrey told the inquest: "It is known that Mr Bethell was involved in the drugs scene and would inject himself with cocaine and heroin."

Shortly before his death Mr Bethell had spent a week at the Linden Centre in Chelmsford on an alcohol detox course.

When he left he told a friend he was going to get some heroin, said Mr Parfrey.

Nobody saw Mr Bethell for two days until Mrs Sherwood discovered his body.

He had three times the fatal dose of morphine in his system.

Essex Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded a verdict of accidental death, saying there was no evidence he had meant to kill himself.

Mr Bethell's funeral was held on August 17, but Mrs Sherwood, 36, failed to turn up.

Friends went to her flat in Meadgate Avenue, and found her dead in bed, clutching a note.

Mr Parfrey said: "Mrs Sherwood was also known to be involved in the drug scene in Chelmsford. She was married at 17 and found her husband of the time dead of a drug overdose when she was 19."

He added: "The friends who found her also found a used syringe, a half empty bottle of wine and some tablets."

A post mortem examination showed Mrs Sherwood had three times the fatal dose of morphine in her body, as well as other drugs.

Mrs Beasley-Murray recorded a verdict of suicide.

Mrs Sherwood's two children are being cared for by her parents in Wales.

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