Abused mother's death ruled as drug overdose

Jessica Edmunds was found in bed at home in Rotherham on 28 August 2023

A mother-of-two whose sudden death prompted a murder investigation died after taking a cocktail of drugs, an inquest has found.

Jessica Edmunds, 32, was found dead at her home on The Bridleway, Rawmarsh, on 28 August 2023.

Two people were arrested following her death in Rotherham but the police investigation was dropped, with the coroner finding she died after taking likely-lethal amounts of cocaine and morphine.

Ms Edmunds, known to her friends and family as Jess, "lived for her kids", her mother Theresa Edmunds told Doncaster Coroners' Court.

Human bite mark injury

The court was told Ms Edmunds had previously been in abusive relationships with a post-mortem examination finding a number of bruises and abrasions on her body.

Dr Philip Lumb, a forensic pathologist, found the injuries were consistent with possible attacks, including a human bite mark.

"There was a history of verbal and physical altercations on the days before her death," a statement read to the court on his behalf said.

While her injuries were not thought to have led to her death, a mix of cocaine, morphine and sertraline were found in her system and were likely to have caused her to die, Dr Stephen Morley, a forensic toxicology specialist, found.

There was "recreational use of cocaine in the days prior to death, but I can’t be exact when that was," Dr Morley said.

It was likely to have been taken with alcohol in an amount that "may potentially be fatal".

Ms Edmunds was thought to have died hours after taking morphine at a "relatively high level", which could have also been fatal.

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Ms Edmunds' death prompted a police investigation with two people, a 47-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman, being arrested on suspicion of murder.

The pair were released with no further action following the post-mortem examination.

Det Con Becky Straw, of the major crime unit at South Yorkshire Police, said there was "no provable third party interference" in her death.

When asked by the family as to why a woman who knew she was allergic to morphine had the drug in her system, she said: "There's no evidence she was forced to take anything.

"That’s what we have to work on."

Simon Tate, assistant coroner for South Yorkshire, recorded Ms Edmunds' death as one of accidental overdose.

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