Woman, 30 ‘died by hanging at hotel’
AWOMAN whose body was found at a hotel is thought to have died by hanging, an inquest opening has heard.
Emma Louise Matthews, from Ferndale, Rhondda, was found dead at Scotts Hotel in Llantwit Fardre, near Pontypridd, on Sunday.
An inquest into the 30-year-old’s death was opened yesterday at Aberdare Coroner’s Court.
DI Meirion Collings, senior investigating officer at South Wales Police, told the hearing the incident had been reported to emergency services on Sunday, July 30, by the manager of Scotts Hotel.
Ms Matthews’ body had been discovered near a window in one of the hotel’s rooms by a cleaner, with Ms Matthews being described as “cold to touch”.
On Saturday, from mid to late afternoon, Ms Matthews had met up with a woman and two men and had gone to buy alcohol with the group in one of the men’s vans, the hearing was told.
CCTV shows they had gone to Scotts Hotel just after 7pm on Saturday, where they remained for two hours, before leaving at 9pm and returning an hour later.
DI Collings said: “We have a number of witnesses in various rooms. We have the majority of statements at this stage. A disturbance was heard at around 11pm, going on until midnight. A female could be heard shouting.”
He added that the woman shouting didn’t sound to be distressed but sounded to be “having a go” at someone else.
The court also heard there were no sounds of any items being smashed or broken.
DI Collings said: “A short time later two males left the room, proceeded to get into the van. Within two minutes of that, a third person got into the van (the woman). That person was later arrested in relation to an assault allegation.”
The woman has since been bailed pending further inquiries.
DI Collings said the provisional cause of Ms Matthews’ death was pressure on the neck.
“The indication is it was death by hanging”, he added.
Senior coroner Andrew Barkley adjourned the inquest until December 14.
The inquest opening came after South Wales Police confirmed on Tuesday that Ms Matthews’ death was no longer being treated as unexplained.
A statement from Ms Matthews’ family, released on Monday, said: “Fly high my baby, love Mam and all the family.”