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Booze tragedy of Kirkstall grandmother who burnt dinner
A Kirkstall woman who was distraught after burning the family dinner twice was found dead in a neighbour's house from severe alcohol poisoning.
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Margaret Gilfeather, 57, of Vesper Gate Crescent, was four times the legal drink-driving limit. An inquest in Leeds heard she was on medication for diabetes and arthritis.
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On the day of her death, Mrs Gilfeather's husband Alan returned from work to find her asleep, with the evening meal burning in the kitchen.
The same thing had happened a week earlier.
The grandmother then went next door to feed the neighbour's cats, while they were on holiday, but ended up collapsing in the sitting room after it is believed she drank alcohol from their drinks cabinet.
Mr Gilfeather became concerned when she did not return.
He went looking for her, but getting no answer from the neighbour's house and after a fruitless search, he called police.
Poilce forced their way into he house next door and found Mrs Gilfeather slumped on the lounge floor.
She was declared dead at the scene.
The court heard Mr and Mrs Gilfeather had been married for 34 years and had a strong, loving relationship.
Despite being ill with diabetes and arthritis grandmother, Mrs Gilfeather, nevertheless kept an "immaculate" home.
"Her philosophy was that there were people far worse off than her," the court was told.
The inquest heard Mrs Gilfeather was only ever an occasional drinker.
Dr Olorunda Rotimi, who conducted the post mortem after Mrs Gilfeather's death on June 26 last year, gave the cause of death as alcohol poisoning, said the alcohol said in her system for longer because she was on medication for her diabetes arthritis.
She had become prone to falling asleep.
Recording a misadventure verdict, coroner David Hinchliff said:"It looks very ,much like she has not strayed much further than next door, initially to feed the cat, but stayed longer.
"She might have helped herself to some alcohol in he neighbour's home and I am not suggesting at all she was a chronic drinker, but on that on that occasion, she might have overdone it."
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Tuesday 07 February 2012
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