A Nottinghamshire mother is likely to have died after a 'staggered overuse' of painkillers given to her for elbow pain, an inquest has found. Gemma Atkin was found unresponsive in bed by her 10-year-old son at her home in Yew Tree Avenue, Mansfield on March 23 last year.
Upon the arrival of paramedics at around 7.15am, the 37-year-old was pronounced dead. A toxicity report presented at Ms Atkin's inquest today (January 13) found that she had a 'lethal level of codeine and a toxic level of paracetamol' in her system.
Assistant Coroner Fiona Gingell, who presided over the case at Nottingham Council House, ruled that Ms Atkin had died of mixed drug toxicity. She said there was no evidence to suggest the medication had been taken with any intentions to cause harm to herself, adding: "It's more likely that, as suggested by the pathologist, it was due to staggered overuse."
