A WOMAN was found dead at her home after she drank a fatal amount of alcohol.

Julie Bell was discovered at her home in Doswell Way, South View, Basingstoke, by her daughter Shona Bell on March 10 this year.

A post-mortem examination revealed that Miss Bell, 56, had 411milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood in her body – more than five times over the legal drink-drive limit of 80mg.

An inquest at Alton Magistrates’ Court heard that Shona and her partner forced their way into Miss Bell’s home after becoming concerned, and found her lying dead inside. Bottles of alcohol were nearby.

Her daughter told the inquest that Miss Bell, a former psychiatric nurse, started to binge drink about 15 years ago and also suffered from depression.

She said: “She was a bubbly person but when she got depressed she would drink quite heavily. Up until the age of 40, she was a good mum and had a good job but life just got her.

“She would go on binges. I would warn her that her body would not be able to take it. She would not just drink a vodka and coke and have a sip. She would drink a bottle of vodka without stopping until it was gone.”

Andrew Bradley, coroner for North East Hampshire, recorded a verdict of death by misadventure, with the cause of death being acute alcohol poisoning. He said: “I do not think she tried to kill herself.”