A MUM lay dead in her bed with a knife under the pillow for up to four weeks, an inquest heard.
Alicia Douglass, 35, was discovered by police responding to a welfare concern in her home in Sheffield.
Police initially arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of murder but he was never charged and the probe was closed.
An inquest heard how officers were unable to establish a cause of death due to decomposition.
Alicia had tragically been dead for between “two and four weeks” before she was found on August 7 last year.
She was found lying across her bed with several empty cider bottles scattered around the room and a knife under her pillow.
The court was told she was last seen alive on CCTV on July 23 and was “yellow all over”, very thin and vomiting.
Two days after her final sighting, Alica’s ex-partner was held following an alleged incident of domestic abuse, Yorkshire Live reports.
DS Liam Milner said there were fears this may have served as a “catalyst” for the mum’s death but there was no indication of third-party involvement.
He said the police found “no evidence” implicating Alicia’s ex-partner.
A post mortem revealed there was bruising in Alice’s neck area because of a fractured larynx but pathologists were unable to ascertain whether this was a factor in her death due to the decomposition.
There was also evidence the mum had taken painkillers but medics could not establish how many.
One pathologist, Dr Lumb, told the court: “Although the larynx fracture was concerning, it was not possible to be certain of the cause of Alicia’s death.”
The inquest heard Alicia had struggled with abuse of prescription drugs as well as alcohol.
A GP report also said she had been a victim of sexual assault and made multiple attempts to take her own life.
Coroner Hannah Berry recorded an “open” verdict following the inquest.
She added: “The police investigated this incident fully but did not find anything suspicious.
“The investigation found that friends and acquaintances reported Alicia was unwell. In particular, she was yellow and was vomiting. She had reported she was struggling to eat and was very thin.
“As a result, on the balance of probabilities, it cannot be said how Alicia died. There are many possible explanations, but on the balance of probabilities, it just cannot be said.
“So, with respect to the cause of death, I accept that of Dr Lumb, unascertained. My conclusion to Alicia’s death is open.”
Alicia’s cousin Hayley Bates paid tribute to the mum, who had a six-year-old daughter.
She said: “Alicia’s mum would like a reason for why her daughter died and to be able to tell [her daughter] what happened to her mum.”
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
