A WOMAN died after drinking large amounts of alcohol and taking other central nervous system depressant drugs, an inquest heard.

Julie Mitchell, 56, of Green Lane, Northwood, was found dead at her home shortly after leaving an alcohol detox treatment at Seven Acres.

Her husband, Robert Mitchell, was arrested on suspicion of murder, but was later released by police with no charge. No evidence of foul play was found.

Mrs Mitchell had her own room in their house and would lock the door, the inquest heard.

Mr Mitchell raised the alarm in the early hours of the morning after his wife had gone to bed very drunk and he did not hear from her for some time.

He called for an ambulance, but would not break the door down to reach her until paramedics arrived — because he was worried about being implicated in causing her harm.

However, the fact that he hadn't broken the door down to find out if she was okay — and by his demeanour when emergency services arrived — led to suspicion and his arrest.

The inquest heard how Mrs Mitchell had made many allegations against her husband of domestic abuse, but none of these had led to a conviction. However, she had been convicted in the past for assaulting him, the inquest heard.

Mrs Mitchell suffered with alcohol dependence syndrome and mental health problems, the coroner said.

The couple had moved to the Isle of Wight from Jersey and had been married for 17 years.

Coroner Caroline Sumeray said: "The history of this relationship does not make for happy reading.

"At times there was great love between them, but when she described their relationship when intoxicated, she was happy to paint her husband as a bad guy.

"They couldn't live with each other, but they couldn't live without each other either.

"At the end, his patience had run out. He did not go into her room and that, in conjunction with his demeanour, resulted in his arrest on suspicion of murder.

"I don't criticise police at all for the action they took. They arrested Robert Mitchell and appropriately released him after recognising the reality of the situation — he had not harmed his wife."

A post mortem examination found that the amount of alcohol in her system alone would have been enough to kill her, but it was taken in conjunction with other central nervous system depressant drugs, including sleeping pills.

The coroner recorded a drug and alcohol related death.

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