Buxton mum's life had 'turned a corner', inquest hears

Julie Ann Keeling’s life had turned a corner, she was in a better place than she had been in years and was building bridges with her estranged son before she died on May 23, an inquest held at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court heard on Tuesday.

Speaking at the inquest, Julie’s brother Richard Keeling said: “She took joy in helping others and was the last to help herself.

"She had returned to Buxton and had turned a corner with her life.

"She had arranged to meet her estranged son for the week after she had died. She was a in a good place."

Richard explained the fun-loving mum-of-two loved being back in Buxton and being part of the community again.

He also said when caring for her mother, Julie reduced her alcohol intake so she was in a better position to help her.

However, he added that Julie had been suffering from bronchopneumonia but was not receiving treatment prior to her death.

On the night before her death, 54-year-old Julie and partner Mark Aspray were drinking in the London Road pub in Buxton but Julie started to feel unwell so Mark brought her home.

He pushed her in her wheelchair, which she needed since losing a leg to thrombosis, to her Oddfellows Cottages on Market Street.

Mark then made sure she was comfortable before he returned to the pub.

Speaking at the inquest, Mark said when he returned home and went to bed he noticed Julie was cold and not breathing so he called for an ambulance.

Assistant Coroner Matthew Kewley, who led the inquest, said: “The post-mortem results show an excess of prescribed anti-depressant medication in her system but there is no evidence to suggest this was an act of suicide.”

In closing, Mr Kewley added: “It is impossible to know how many tablets Julie actually took, we can only take readings from the post-mortem.

"It is not possible to know when she died and it is not possible to know if the outcome would have been different if Mark had stayed.”

He recorded a narrative verdict.

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