A CORONER who adjourned an inquest to investigate how a woman had obtained medication which was not prescribed to her was unable to shed any light on the matter.

Despite inquiries, there are no records of co-proxamol tablets being prescribed to Kendalian Marion Patricia Davis, who was found dead early on June 11 with empty packets of the medication next to her.

South Cumbria coroner Cyril Prickett expressed his concern that people could get hold of prescription-only medication, and had hoped to establish how the tablets "came to be in the public domain."

However, it also proved difficult to trace to whom the medication was issued, and by which chemist, pharmacist or surgery.

Lancaster-based Dr Robert Blewitt, consultant pathologist who carried out a post mortem examination, said that Mrs Davis, 25, of Romney Gardens, Kendal, died of "an overdose of co-proxamol."

He said Mrs Davis's blood had contained a low level of alcohol, which had "not made a significant contribution to her death".

But there was a high level of paracetemol - one of two components of co-proxamol - and concluded that "about 50 of these tablets had been taken."

Dr Paul Simpson, of Station House Surgery, Kendal, where Mrs Davis had been a patient, added his concern, saying the surgery had no record of prescribing the tablets to her.

The inquest heard that Mrs Davis, who had worked at Asda, in Kendal, and part-time at The Fleece Inn, had had an argument with her husband Lee the night before she died.

"Our marriage was like any others - it had its ups and downs," said Mr Davis, 29, who had been married to his wife for four years.

He admitted that they had had financial problems, including an eviction order following rent arrears, and agreed that "there was talk of infidelity by both," which was the cause of an argument on the evening of June 10.

Mr Davis went to bed after his wife that night, leaving the light off because he thought she was asleep.

The following morning, he found her dead and saw the empty tablet packets for the first time.

He told the inquest his wife had never threatened to take her own life.

Mr Prickett told Mr Davis: "In view of the surrounding circumstances, I propose to record an open verdict."