Mum-of-three, Amie Barnes had spent the evening at her boyfriend’s home in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire – she was found dead in his bed the following morning
A mum-of-three was found dead in her boyfriend’s bed after accidentally overdosing on painkillers to relieve severe back pain, an inquest heard. Midwife Amie Barnes, who was awaiting spinal surgery at Salford Royal Hospital, had spent the evening of July 25 at her partner Jack’s home in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire.
The pair enjoyed a bottle of wine and a takeaway before retiring for the night. The next morning, Jack said goodbye to Amie as he left early for work, the inquest into her death revealed.
However, upon his return, he discovered her lifeless body lying face down in bed. A coroner heard that Amie was just 37 when she died. Emergency services were called, and initially, Amie’s death was treated as suspicious due to apparent facial injuries and blood around her mouth, reports LancsLive.
But it was later determined that this was due to blood pooling and contouring caused by Amie falling asleep with her vape underneath her. A post-mortem CT scan didn’t reveal any natural causes of death, but toxicology tests showed that Amie, who served as a midwife at hospitals in Blackpool and Preston, had consumed several painkillers before her untimely demise. A small amount of alcohol was also detected in her system.
At an inquest held earlier this week at Preston Coroners’ Court, Assistant Coroner Richard Taylor stated that while the painkillers wouldn’t have caused Amie’s death individually, “the concomitant use may have caused significant sedation which, in the absence of any other cause, may have resulted in her death.”
Amie’s GP revealed in a statement that she had sought medical advice several times in the seven months leading up to her passing. She was prescribed various painkillers for chronic back pain as she awaited surgery.
Detective Sergeant Jamie Robinson from Blackpool Police detailed how officers ruled out any third-party involvement in Amie’s death.
“When we arrived, Amie was lying on the floor with a cover over her,” DS Robinson recounted. “That wasn’t where she was found, she had been moved by the paramedics.
“She was discovered face down and blood pools to the lowest part of the body, which explains her position. A vape under her face could have caused her face to contour.”
The coroner concluded a verdict of misadventure, stating: “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 has had a drink and may have taken more than was sensible, and that is not being judgemental.”
Following Amie’s passing, her friend Olivia Drinkwater, a nurse at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, arranged for Blackpool Tower to be illuminated in pink – Amie’s favourite colour.
She said at the time: “Amie was so lovely, she was one of the kind-hearted people who everyone warmed to. She was like 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 recently had been working at Preston as a midwife. She had also worked as a bereavement midwife as well. She gave such a lot to Blackpool.”