Woman was gassed in her car as she tried to keep warm (From Halesowen News)

Woman was gassed in her car as she tried to keep warm

7:10am Friday 19th June 2009

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A MALVERN cleaner died of carbon monoxide poisoning while trying to keep warm in her car after her boyfriend locked her out of their house following a row, an inquest was told.

Divorced mum-of-one Suzanne Jones had been to watch a band with Jason Pritchard at the Lamb Inn, West Malvern Road, on Tuesday, March 31.

When the band finished, Mr Pritchard said he wanted to go home but Miss Jones decided to stay and have another drink with a friend.

Mr Pritchard told Miss Jones she had to get up for work in the morning and urged her to go home.

When she refused Mr Pritchard picked up her drink, threw it down the drain then said he was going home and locking the door.

An inquest in Stourport-on-Severn heard how Mr Pritchard went back to their house, which was directly opposite the pub, and locked the front door, leaving the key in the lock. Miss Jones did have a front door key with her but would have been unable to open it with the other keys still in the lock.

Mr Pritchard told the hearing he woke up the following morning and assumed Miss Jones had stayed at her friend’s house.

Later that morning, after being unable to contact the 46-year-old on her mobile, he returned home and went to look for her car in the garage.

Mr Pritchard, aged 38, said: “I opened the door and saw the car in there. Then I saw Suzanne lying down with the driver’s seat tilted right back. I just thought she was asleep.

“I opened the car door and there was a strange smell. I knew straight away without having to touch her.”

Mr Pritchard called the police, who took the car for testing.

A police report said the engine and the heaters had been turned on, which meant fumes were then being sent into the car by the air vents. The windows were not open.

The car had a defective exhaust which caused the engine to cut out and then the battery went flat as the ignition key was left turned.

Worcestershire Coroner Geraint Williams said the medical cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, he said: “It is clear Miss Jones did try and get home. Did she try and get in the house? I don’t know. Did she try the back door? I don’t know. Did she ring the door bell or try and contact Mr Pritchard? I don’t know. The evidence I have does not permit me to find that out.”

Mr Williams said he had not even considered the possibility that Miss Jones had killed herself.

“She opted to sleep in the car,” he said. “She turned the engine on to keep warm. I think she then fell asleep, the fumes filled the car and that killed her.”

Miss Jones ran her own cleaning business and had been in an on-off relationship with Mr Pritchard for about 10 years.

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