A CORONER had to offer an unascertained conclusion at an inquest into the death of a young woman, after no apparent medical cause of death could be established.

Hayley Morris was found dead at her flat in Thwaites Road, Oswaldtwistle, by her father, Adrian Morris, on February 6.

At the inquest in Blackburn, it was heard that the 27-year-old had no significant medical history, but around five years ago she had developed a rare genetic disorder which left her in immense pain and with mobility problems.

Coroner Richard Taylor said: “She had last been seen by her father on February 5 at around 2.30pm and had been in contact on the phone at 8.30pm. But when her father hadn’t heard from her by tea time the following day he grew concerned and went round to her flat to check on her and found her in bed, as if she were asleep.”

It was explained that for a few years, Miss Morris had struggled to cope with the pain of her condition and was on a quantity of medication that her father said would often leave her comatose to the point where he thought she was on too much. However, after meeting with clinical psychologist and pain expert, Carla Toye, Miss Morris’ outlook began to change and she reduced her medication, coming off liquid morphine, and relying on morphine in tablet form.

She had also become more independent, moving into her own flat in 2018, and was beginning to express positivity about the future.

However, Mr Taylor stressed that despite her reduction in medication, toxicology reports found there was morphine in her system, but only at the levels you would expect to find in someone being treated for chronic pain. He said that it was possible she may have taken some morphine the night before she was found dead, and due to her tolerance levels diminishing because of the reduction, her body may not have been able to cope.

Miss Morris’ father said: “But she wasn’t in any pain, I spoke to her at 8.33pm and she would’ve told us if she was.”

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In concluding, Mr Taylor said: “Hayley was found dead on February 6. This was a young lady who had been struck down with a very unpleasant condition and had been in significant pain and coming to terms with that must’ve taken some bravery.

“But the positive steps she had made, including finding her own flat were huge and you as a family were supporting these changes.

“Sadly the medical experts can’t offer a cause of death. She had in her system the drugs you would’ve expected her to have had and she hadn’t taken any liquid morphine in some time.

“I will therefore have to record the cause of death as unascertained.”