Woman freezes to death in an airing cupboard
She got trapped in holiday home – and neighbours mistook banging for builders
A REtiRED senior detective froze to death after becoming trapped in an airing cupboard at her holiday home, an inquest heard.
Elizabeth isherwood, 60, tried to smash a wall to free herself after the door knob came off in her hand when the cupboard closed.
She also pulled shelving and copper piping from a wall to try to break out. But the broken pipe soaked the part-time carer, – who was naked.
it is thought she died up to two days later of hypothermia in the complete darkness. it is also believed she nearly managed to smash a hole through the plasterboard, but a picture hanging on the other side made her think she had failed.
Other guests at the holiday complex, where Mrs isherwood had a timeshare, heard banging but assumed it was builders doing maintenance work.
the body of the former detective inspector was not discovered until a week later – when water started to leak from the property and staff were sent to investigate.
last night Mrs isherwood’s family said they were considering legal action against the Plas talgarth Machynlleth, holiday north complex, Wales, near over the tragedy.
Ex-husband, Clive, 65, said: ‘Her body wasn’t found until the day she was due to check out a week later – this happened right at the start of her trip.
‘it must have been awful for her, to be trapped in there. She’d tried to use a broken pipe to claw her way out, and had made one hole in a wall, and another hole which, if she’d carried on, she could probably have escaped through.’
An inquest in Caernarfon, north Wales, was told that Mrs isherwood had arrived alone for a the week-long 23 grandmother last year. holiday on had September made repeated visits to the timeshare, which she bought with Mr isherwood when they were married more than 30 years ago. they split when she came out as a lesbian but remained on good terms, even meeting for a drink the night before she went away. Mr isherwood said that soon after she arrived his ex-wife went for a swim in the complex pool, before going to bed. it is thought that sometime in the night she awoke and went to use the bathroom but mistook the door to the airing cupboard for her bedroom. ‘ the airing cupboard is inside the en-suite bathroom,’ Mr isherwood said.
Coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones said there was evidence Mrs isherwood, who was fit and a keen golfer, had smashed a hole in the plasterboard. But there was a painting hanging on the wall on the other side and she may not have realised in the dark that she had got through.
Recording a conclusion of misadventure, Mr Pritchard- Jones, coroner for north West Wales, added: ‘the presence of the picture meant she … probably thought she couldn’t get out.’
Pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers told the hearing: ‘She may well have been in there a number of days trying to get out.’
Her son, Craig, 32, said: ‘She hadn’t even unpacked.
‘We were all absolutely devastated. Mum was so sporty, fit, healthy, and loved playing golf. losing her has left a huge hole in our lives.’
Mrs isherwood, of Wolverhampton, began her career at Essex police before moving to the West Midlands force where she met her husband. He was also a DCi when he retired.
She left the police after coming out as gay and moved to london to work for the Post Office investigation Service. in the early 1990s she moved to new Zealand, returning the following decade to work as a carer.