Accidental overdose of insulin caused the death of daughter, 36

AN inquest into the death of a woman who was found at her home has concluded she died as the result of an accidental insulin overdose.

Derby Coroner’s Court heard Lisa Charlotte Staggs, 36, was discovered in Holloway, Repton, on Saturday, August 28, last year. Tests showed insulin levels in her system, administered due to her having diabetes, were at a high level.

In a statement at the hearing, Miss Staggs’ father, Eric, said he had seen his daughter that morning and described her as being in “good spirits...she was full of beans, laughing, joking, she said she was coming around the house for dinner.”

Mr Staggs said he did not have any concerns about his daughter after seeing her.

In his statement, Mr Staggs said that his daughter had experienced problems with alcohol, but would not describe her as an alcoholic.

Assistant coroner for Derby and Derbyshire Miss Louise Pinder said: “There seems to be here some evidence that, on occasion, Miss Staggs consumed too much alcohol and in that context also took too much insulin. But what her intent was on those occasions isn’t clear.”

The inquest also heard from PC Ashley Brown, the first officer on the scene.

He said: “I spoke to the ambulance service. I was informed that they’d found two empty insulin pens and I asked if that was enough to overdose on and I was told by a paramedic that that’s plenty to overdose on.”

PC Brown added that he had spoken to Mr Staggs at the property. “I was informed that they hadn’t heard from Lisa that morning...he then used his key to open the door and found that it was being held by the chain, which he then forced.

“He then located Lisa in the bedroom.”

Concluding the hearing, Miss Pinder said she believed that Miss Staggs, who came from Essex and moved to Derbyshire to follow her father, had gone to sleep and not woken up again.

She said: “I don’t think she would have known what was happening and I don’t think it would have been traumatic for her at all.”

Miss Pinder ruled that Miss Staggs died as a result of an accidental insulin overdose.