An open verdict has been recorded on the death of a woman.
Shirley Murphy, 55, was discovered by her partner Gary Coleman at the home they shared in Guildford Road, Colchester, an inquest in Colchester heard yesterday.
A Home Office pathologist found Mrs Murphy's cause of death was alcoholic intoxication, hypovolaemia - a decrease in the amount of circulating blood - and liver failure. She had 274mg of alcohol in 100ml of her blood. The drink-drive limit is 80mg.
PC Lee Ward, who went to the house, told the inquest Mrs Murphy's body had bruises around her arms and body and there was blood on the duvet of her bed, on a wall downstairs and on a carpet.
The inquest heard Mr Coleman was arrested while police investigated Mrs Murphy's death but no-one was charged in connection with her death.
Det Con Paul Maleary, of the major investigations team in Stanway, also gave evidence at yesterday's hearing.
He said when a Home Office pathologist examined Mrs Murphy he was "so concerned about the state of the body that we had sufficient evidence at that time to arrest Mr Coleman".
He said: "Suffice to say that as a result of the investigation there is insufficient evidence to secure charges against Mr Coleman or anybody."
Det Con Maleary said the Home Office pathologist concluded some of the injuries Mrs Murphy had suffered may have been caused by straps on a body bag she was put in.
Mr Coleman told the hearing that on May 28 he went to the pub they ran together leaving Mrs Murphy asleep in bed.
He said he returned home at about 12.30am the next morning and Mrs Murphy was downstairs in a chair.
He said: "She had obviously been drinking because I found a tumbler full of wine which I promptly threw down the sink.
"We had an argument about it. I then slapped her across the face and left back up to work."
He said he returned in the early hours, slept in a different bedroom to his partner then left for work the next day, without looking in on Mrs Murphy.
When he next returned home, just after midnight, he found her body and called 999.
Essex coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded an open verdict.
Published Friday November 8, 2002
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