Inquest told that woman died from hypothermia

AN OKEHAMPTON woman who died from hypothermia had been neglecting herself, an inquest heard last week.

Richard van Oppen recorded a verdict of natural causes to which self neglect contributed at the inquest of 55-year-old Jennifer Burns who was found collapsed on her kitchen floor on February 28 this year.

Mrs Burns was found by her landlord after he noticed the door of her premises in North Street was ajar.

The police and ambulance were called and a following investigation, examination and inspection of the premises revealed that there were no suspicious circumstances.

It was believed that Mrs Burns had been dead from between 12 and 24 hours.

She had been last seen by a doctor in November last year and was known to suffer from anxiety which included an unwillingness to seek medical help, said the coroner.

'She had also been neglecting herself,' he said.

A post mortem examination revealed the clinical cause of death as hypothermia. The inquest at Okehampton heard that the house was very cold and was in a chaotic state.