A CORONER has concluded the inquest into a 52-year-old woman who had a heart attack in Colchester.

Nicole Wilkes died in December last year at Colchester Hospital.

On Thursday, area coroner for Essex Michelle Brown summarised the series of events which led to the 52-year-old’s death, explaining how she was hypothermic when she was found by bystanders on December 7.

Ms Brown said: “She was taken by ambulance to Colchester Hospital on that date at 10.58pm following a cardiac arrest.

“Adrenaline was given and she was admitted to an intensive care unit after a computed tomography (CT) scan.”

The images showed evidence of traumatic brain injury.

The court heard how Wilkes had a history of multiple drug overdoses, and also suffered from anxiety and depression.

Ms Wilkes died in Colchester Hospital on December 12.

Providing an official cause of death, Ms Brown concluded Ms Wilkes died as a result of mixed drug toxicity, bronchopneumonia, and global hypoxic brain injury.

It was added that mental health services had previously attempted to intervene to assist Ms Wilkes, with EPUT conducting a cold call and requesting that Ms Wilkes makes contact with the service, but alcohol and drug used prevented engagement.