A WIDOW died after taking sleeping tablets on the anniversary of her late husband's birthday, an inquest heard.

Yvonne Jelleyman, 89, moved from Germany to live with her daughter, Angela Walker, at Highcliff Edge, in Winston, between Darlington and Barnard Castle, after the death of her husband.

Mrs Walker told yesterday's hearing in Darlington that on Sunday, May 21, she had gone into her mother's room at about 10.15am and found her with a plastic bag over her head and an open bottle of temazepam tablets on a bedside table.

She said she presumed her mother had taken an overdose and that the bag was over her head to make sure she would die.

"She was alive at that point and she was still alive throughout the day, I only realised she was dead at 10.15 at night. I didn't at any point expect her to die," said Mrs Walker.

Having checked on her mother every hour, Mrs Walker said she was shocked to discover she had died that night, which was when she called for an ambulance.

Consultant pathologist Dr Peter Cooper said a post- mortem examination revealed Mrs Jelleyman had a chest infection, thought to have been caused by the temazepam overdose.

"I do think she was unlucky to have died. If you put ten people in this situation, I would expect the majority of them to wake up and survive," he said.

Coroner Colin Penna said Mrs Jelleyman could have taken the sleeping tablets as a cry for help, or taken too many by accident.

"Without any further specific evidence, or any statement made by her in writing, or verbally, I don't feel satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that she intended to finish it all, so I have to record an open verdict," he said.