AN INQUEST was held last week into the death of a woman who regularly drank 14 pints of cider a day.

Paramedics found the body of 46-year-old Julie Walker of Mathews Way, Paganhill, in her bed on February 21, Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court heard.

Senior coroner for Gloucestershire Katy Skerrett said: “She has had a long-term addiction to heroin, other drugs and to alcohol.

“Finally her battle with addiction got the better of her.” Earlier the inquest at Barnwood heard how Ms Walker drank 14 pints of cider daily and had taken drug overdoses on a number of occasions.

“She has been admitted to Wotton Lawn in Gloucester and Charlton Lane in Cheltenham numerous times and on occasions, after taking overdoses, has contacted the emergency services herself,” said the coroner.

“She has been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic and has complained of hearing voices.”

A toxicology report revealed she was more than four times the legal drink-drive level of alcohol in her blood – 362 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, the legal limit being 80 milligrammes.

A post mortem recorded the cause of death as acute alcohol intoxication and acute pancreatitis.

Ms Skerrett concluded it was an alcohol-related death.