Family's 'horrifying discovery' of body in flat

Laura Winham had schizophrenia and had become estranged from her family

The mother and brother of a woman whose body lay dead in a flat for years will never forget the "shock" of making the "horrifying discovery" of her decomposed remains, an inquest has heard.

Laura Winham, 41, whose family has said had schizophrenia, was found after her mother and brother visited her social housing property in Woking in May 2021.

Her sister, Nicky Winham, told the inquest at Surrey Coroners' Court on Tuesday that Laura had twice been sectioned and had cut off contact with her family because she believed they were trying to harm her.

She told the hearing how her mother and brother had visited the flat after they became concerned about her welfare, later calling the police to force entry, and how the shock of finding Laura "can never be forgotten".

Ms Winham told the court that they last saw her in person in 2009, while contact over social media had stopped in 2014.

But her brother, Roy Winham, stepped up efforts to contact Laura in January 2021 because their father's health was seriously deteriorating.

Ms Winham's family believe she died in November 2017 - three-and-a-half years before her body was found

During the visit in May 2021, Ms Winham said: "They were shouting her name and looking through the letterbox.

"My brother saw what he thought was a seriously decomposed body."

She also told the court that the family had not been contacted about an incident in 2009 when Laura was found "wandering around in her underwear", or when she was sectioned for a second time the same year, or when police raised concerns over her welfare after a visit to her flat in 2017.

Her sister contacted New Vision Homes two months before she was found dead, but when officials visited the property there was "no answer", Gerri Summers, a former employee said.

It was "clear that [Ms Winham] was vulnerable", Ms Summers said in written evidence read out at the inquest opening.

Laura's family have previously said she was "abandoned and left to die" by social and mental health services.

'No food'

A forensic pathologist told the hearing that it was not possible to determine the date or cause of Laura's death, adding that "theoretically she could've died at the start of 2021".

But Laura stopped calendar entries and internet food shops in 2017, the court heard.

Ms Winham said letters found in Laura's flat - which had been torn up and pieced back together by police - suggested she had a limited amount of food, money and her phone was broken.

In her flat, she added: “We found a tub of margarine, a bottle of tomato sauce and a few tea bags.

"There was no dried food, no tinned cans or any frozen food."

She said that while Laura had £3,000 in a savings account, she would have had to go into the town centre to withdraw the cash. "I presume she didn't feel well enough to do that," she added.

Eviction order

The inquest also heard that the gas supply at Laura's flat was turned off in January 2019 due to a contractor not being able to gain access to complete an annual gas check.

Ms Summers said the contractor had made several attempts to make contact by phone and post with no response.

The family believe Laura died in November 2017 - three-and-a-half years before her body was found.

Ms Summers said that responsibility for managing social housing has been moved back to Woking Borough Council and that there was now a "more customer-focused experience".

She added that Laura had previously been subject to an eviction warrant in April 2014 after getting into rent arrears of £1,579 after she had stopped claiming housing benefit.

But the court heard the council later assisted her in making a new housing benefit claim and encouraged her to see her GP.

Laura had been referred to social care twice in the years leading up to her death.

The inquest continues.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.