A much-loved mum was found dead in her boyfriend’s bed after taking too many painkillers by accident.
Amie Barnes had spent the evening of July 25 at her partner Jack’s home in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, sharing a bottle of wine and takeaway before going to bed.
The following morning, Jack left early for work and said goodbye to Amie. When he returned, Amie was lying face down in bed, and when he went to check on her, he realised she was dead.
A post-mortem CT scan found no natural cause of death, but toxicology tests revealed that the 37-year-old, who worked as a midwife at hospitals in Blackpool and Preston, had taken several painkillers before her death in a bid to ease her chronic back pain.
At an inquest held this week at Preston Coroners’ Court, Assistant Coroner Richard Taylor said that although individually, the painkillers wouldn’t have caused Amie’s death, ‘the concomitant use may have caused significant sedation which, in the absence of any other cause, may have resulted in her death.’
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Amie’s GP said in a statement that she had consulted the surgery on several occasions over the seven months before she died.
Amie was prescribed various painkillers to manage chronic back pain while she was on the waiting list for spinal surgery at Salford Royal Hospital.
The coroner returned a conclusion of misadventure and said: ‘It seems to me more likely than not that this was unintended and that is what we call misadventure; death is the unintended consequence of an intended act.
‘She may have intended to take painkillers, she was in pain, she had had a drink and may have taken more than was sensible, and that is not being judgmental.’
What are the signs of a painkiller overdose?
- Unrousable (can’t be woken up) unconsciousness.
- Shallow breathing or not breathing at all
- Snoring or gurgling sounds (this can mean that a person’s airway is partly blocked)
- Blue lips or fingertips
- Floppy arms and legs
- No response to stimulus
- Disorientation
After Amie’s death, her friend Olivia Drinkwater said: ‘Amie was so lovely, she was one of the kind-hearted people who everyone warmed to. She was like a breath of fresh air, so loving, humbling and caring, and she is so very missed by her family and friends.
‘It was so unexpected when she died, we were all devastated. Amie worked at Blackpool Vic as a midwife for many years and has recently been working at Preston as a midwife.
‘She had also worked as a bereavement midwife. She gave a lot to Blackpool.’
Amie’s funeral was held at Carleton Crematorium on August 15, followed by a wake at the Number Three pub.
She leaves three children aged 19, 12 and seven, as well as other family members.
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