Inquest told 25-year-old woman died from heroin overdose at Maidenhead pub

A 25-year-old woman found dead in The Anchor pub died from a heroin overdose, an inquest has heard.

Lydia Amy Blackmore Reed was found collapsed on the floor in the bathroom of the pub in York Road on Tuesday, June 7.

An inquest into her death, held at Reading Town Hall on Tuesday, heard she had a history of substance abuse.

Statements read by Berkshire coroner, Peter Bedford, included one from her fiancé Donnino Rapacioli, the pub landlord and with whom she lived.

Although she had a history of substance abuse, the inquest heard Miss Blackmore Reed had been clean for months, apart from two short relapses in November 2015 and six days before her death.

After her second relapse, Miss Blackmore Reed had spent the weekend recovering at home. On the day of her death, Mr Rapacioli had spent the morning with her, before working in the afternoon. He said she seemed exhausted but otherwise okay.

At 4.25pm that day, a colleague told him Miss Blackmore Reed had collapsed in the bathroom.

She was pronounced dead shortly after the ambulance arrived.

A toxicology report found the level of morphine in her blood was very high, in range for the concentration associated with the fatalities of heroin overdose.  

Recording the cause of Miss Blackmore Reed’s death as drug related, Mr Bedford said: “Straight away, I dismiss any suggestion that she may have deliberately taken an overdose with the intention of ending her life.”

Her father Brian Blackmore Reed said: “We don’t think Lydia wanted to take her own life.

“What she wanted was to have a good time. It was entirely accidental.”