A mum-of-ten died in a house fire despite the desperate efforts of her partner who managed to break down the door in an attempt to save her. Kelly-Marie Watton was tragically pronounced dead at the scene of the blaze which broke out in the early hours of June 20, 2021, an inquest heard on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old was alone in the house in Holywell when the fire started just after midnight, North Wales Live reports. CCTV footage taken from a camera from across the road on the Holway estate showed how the living room light was switched on at 12.08am and switched off shortly afterwards.
By 12.33am, the footage showed smoke inside the house with the fire visible by 12.40am. A neighbour alerted the fire service at 1.13am by which time the fire had fully developed, according to fire investigator Timothy Owen who appeared as a witness at the court in Ruthin County Hall.
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Ms Watton's partner, Daniel Cooper, was with his friends that evening and drove to the property after one of them heard of what had happened. After arriving at the scene just before the fire service, Mr Cooper, who did not have the keys to the property at the time, attempted to kick the door down several times before he finally gained entry by running through it.
Mr Cooper, with whom Cardiff -born Ms Watton had five children, found his partner of six years on the sofa in the living room which was covered in smoke and soot. He then dragged her out of the house and attempted CPR.
Ms Watton, who was the eldest of six siblings, was pronounced dead at the scene later that night by paramedics at 2.03am. Following a postmortem conducted by Home Office pathologist Dr Brian Rogers, a medical cause of death of inhalation of smoke and fire gases was heard at the inquest.
The postmortem revealed that Ms Watton's body, which was heavily sooted, had a blood alcohol level of 302mg per 100ml at the time of her death - levels above 300mg can lead to a loss consciousness, Kate Sutherland, assistant coroner for North Wales east and central, heard. Traces of cocaine and prescribed medication were also found in Ms Watton's system.
The fire started in the corner of the living room on the ground floor where a pile of clothes, a wicker storage basket and a lamp were located. A television was also located nearby as was a "partially melted" lighter, according to the fire investigator who could not determine the exact cause of the blaze due to the number of possible causes.
The investigation by the fire service could not discount an electrical fault, a poorly discarded cigarette nor a deliberate attempt on Ms Watton's behalf to ignite the fire due to her possible state of mind at the time as potential causes of the fire. The security of the house was also compromised due to a missing window pane in the back door.
It was heard Ms Watton was known to smoke in the living room, though any trace of a cigarette at the scene would have been destroyed by the fire, the coroner said. The missing window pane also allowed for more oxygen to flow through the room which accelerated the fire which went on to spread across the first floor of the two storey end-of-terrace house.
The coroner concluded that Ms Watton's death was an accident and said that the considerable number of people who had chosen to attend the inquest showed the regard for the 32-year-old. Ms Sutherland also praised Mr Cooper's efforts in trying to save his partner, adding: "The courage and bravery Mr Cooper showed in helping Kelly that night is something that is profound." To follow the latest news from across Wales, subscribe to our newsletters here.
