Inquest: Drug addict, 49, found dead at Colchester hotel

Angela Ribbans, 49, was found by a cleaner at the Riverside Hotel, in North Station Road, in February.

A post-mortem examination found she had heroin, methadone and diazepam in her blood, an inquest heard on Thursday.

Essex area coroner Michelle Brown told the hearing a syringe was discovered in the bathroom where Ms Ribbans was found and there was a shallow amount of water in the bath.

Inquest - a documentary inquest into the death of Angela Ribbans was held at Essex Coroner's Court on Thursday (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest) Her death was not originally treated as suspicious but was later investigated after a family member told police she had recently been the victim of an assault.

A police investigation found there was no third-party involvement in her death.

A toxicology report produced by pathologist Dr Benjamin Swift gave a provisional cause of death as multi-drug toxicity and drowning.

Mrs Brown said: “There were no suspicious circumstances identified by Dr Swift.

“There was evidence of heroin and morphine use – the level of concentration could cause toxicity even in a tolerant drug user.

“Even though the levels recorded were quite high, it could have been higher at the time of her death, but it is hard to measure.”

She continued: “The presence of heroin, methadone, diazepam in the blood can have an additive effect, increasing the risk of respiratory depression.

“There was no evidence of traumatic sexual assault and there was therefore no evidence of a third-party assault contributing to her death.

“She had hyper inflated lungs which raises the likelihood of terminal drowning.”

Ms Ribbans was known to the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) and was also known to be dependent on heroin, the inquest heard.

Professionals - paramedics confirmed Ms Ribbans' death on February 22 of this year (Image: Newsquest)

The coroner said the combination of drugs in Ms Ribbans’ system increased her risk of sedation.

She said: “It is more likely than not that she lost consciousness as a result of the combined effect of this compound that resulted in terminal drowning.”

The coroner concluded Ms Ribbans died on February 22 due to multiple drug toxicity and drowning.

“The conclusion is therefore one of a drug-related death,” she said.