Natalie Morris Bali death: 'Perfect evening' before pool death

Ms Morris and her partner had travelled to the island of Lembongan

The partner of a woman found dead in a villa pool while on holiday said they had spent the "most perfect evening imaginable together" before her death.

Natalie Morris and Andrew Samuel had travelled to the island of Lembongan, off the coast of Bali, in September.

They had spent the evening watching the sunset and enjoying a few drinks before Mr Samuel discovered her body face down in the pool, an inquest heard.

Ms Morris, 29, from Merthyr Tydfil, had been travelling around Bali.

• Holidaymaker's body 'found in pool'

The inquest in Pontypridd heard Mr Samuel went to sleep just after midnight and woke five hours later to find his partner of four years was not in bed.

Ms Morris had been travelling around Bali

He emotionally told the court how they had spent the day before he discovered the body.

"It was one of the most perfect evenings imaginable", he said.

"It was the most picturesque of islands with white sand beaches, and we watched the sunset at about 18:00 that evening before heading back to the resort for dinner and then a few drinks back at the villa.

"We drank gin and tonics by the pool for a few hours after. We didn't drink excessively, but we were both tipsy."

Mr Samuel explained: "I went to bed about midnight and Nat stayed out to finish her drink and have a cigarette. It was normal for me to go bed first, although Natalie wasn't a great swimmer.

"The pool was only 5ft deep. So she would have been fine swimming in it."

The inquest heard Mr Samuel dived in to save her and carried out CPR.

He was asked by the coroner what he thought had happened.

Mr Samuel replied: "I think Nat had been having a cigarette and got out of her chair and knowing Nat most probably started dancing to the music.

"But she must have slipped and knocked her head and fallen into the pool."

Coroner Andrew Barkley said: "Natalie Morris died from the effects of drowning in circumstances which are unclear. The evidence does not reveal how she entered the water."

He recorded a narrative conclusion of death by drowning.