The family of a young woman who died after taking a lethal cocktail of drugs have issued a heartfelt plea to other vulnerable people - 'please don't turn to drugs'.
The tragedy of how Zoe Hamilton's life spiralled into drug dependency unfolded at the inquest into her death on December 28, 2020.
On that day, Zoe, 28, was one of three people found dead at her home in Oldham Road, Failsworth. The others were her ex-boyfriend James Acton, 41 and Andrew Smith, 39.
READ MORE: Dad found dead alongside pregnant woman and her partner had taken a 'cocktail of drugs'
Zoe's elder sister Jade Cooney told assistant coroner for Manchester North Lisa Judge, sitting at Rochdale, how she had three children but had been in an abusive relationship.
Her children were taken into care, and were eventually adopted. It was revealed that Zoe was newly pregnant, but feared that child too would be taken away from her.
Jade said: "That caused significant distress and really affected Zoe. It was after that that she started taking drugs. She didn't take them when she had her kids.
"There was always an assumption they were coming home, but they didn't. She didn't think they would be taken away permanently."
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Jade said that after the children were adopted the family became aware that she was taking drugs and that her then partner was a drug user.
"She was going downhill from that moment," said Jade.
And she added powerfully: "Drugs have a massive effect on people. You can see it when you look at someone. This should be a lesson to all drug users. It's just not worth it."
And in a tribute to her sister, Jade said: "She was a free soul. She liked to do her own thing and wouldn't be put into a box. We never knew where she was.
"She was just out and about, but you always knew she was there somewhere. She enjoyed making things and was a fixer and she particularly enjoyed painting and decorating.
"And she was definitely a socialiser with lots of friends. She had a heart of gold, she really did. She would feel sorry for other people even if she was going through a bad time herself. She was always smiling and always happy."
Zoe took the recent death of her mother, Shirley, hard, said Jade and on Christmas Day 2020, the family visited her grave, and it was the last time they were to see her.
In the early hours of Boxing day, Zoe was with a neighbour and friend, Julie Thornton, and an electronic tag she was wearing after receiving a community order for shoplifting was activated for the last time in the early hours of December 26.
Two days later, after police had twice visited the address and failed to get a response from the door following reports that Mr Acton could be located by his daughter, Zoe's sister Tiana went round to the flat.
Her partner Taylor kicked in the door to be greeted by 'an awful smell'. They found Zoe and Mr Acton on the bed and Mr Smith on the floor, clearly dead.
Toxicologist Mark Taylor told the hearing that 11 different drugs were found in samples of Zoe's blood and urine.
These included cocaine, methadone, amphetamines, heroin, as well as valium, pregabalin.
However, he said the most significant was the presence of methadone, which had the same effects as heroin.
Pathologist Dr Philip Lumb said the combined effects of the cocktail of drugs, triggering fatal pneumonia was most likely to be the cause of death.
Concluding that Zoe's was a 'drug related death', Ms Judge described her as 'a person who thought and acted in an inhibited way without conforming to social rules'.
"She was kind loving and friendly," said the assistant coroner. "I have heard she would do anything for anyone. She was a free spirit but with a kind heart.
"Her sister described her as having terrible things happening to her, but would always put a smile on her face."
And she told the family: "Although Zoe's later life was impacted by drug use, I would urge you to put the drug use out of your mind and enjoy her memory only as a free spirit."
