Misadventure verdict on death of Downham Market woman

A conclusion of misadventure was found in an inquest held today into the death of Samantha Ford at her home in Downham last summer.

The online hearing, before area coroner Yvonne Blake, heard that Mrs Ford,aged 53, died following a house fire at her home on the Retreat Estate on July 29. She had died from inhalation of fire fumes.

Evidence read to the inquest said that the alarm had been raised after a neighbour saw smoke pouring out of a ground-floor window of the property.

Mrs Ford had been seen earlier that day by her son. A smoker, she had been drinking vodka and she had been sitting in a chair in the room where the fire was found to have started.

The blaze was thought to have been started by a cigarette.

She had appeared somewhat "vacant" his evidence said but he had just thought it was "my mother having another bad day".

The inquest had heard evidence that Mrs Ford had suffered from depression and alcohol issues. Her level of alcohol was 278 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, which the coroner said was high.

Recording a conclusion of misadventure, the coroner told family members: "It was a horrible thing to have happened. It must be very difficult. Give my condolences to the rest of the family."