A TEACHER who bought thousands of sleeping pills over the internet took a lethal level of the drug before she was found hanged in Haslam Park.

An inquest in Bolton heard how 43-year-old Suzanne Greenwood’s body was discovered by dog walkers on December 23 last year, close to where a former boyfriend, Christopher Evans, had hung himself 19 months earlier.

Giving evidence, Mrs Greenwood’s husband, David, told how she had struggled with insomnia for years and after her death he discovered she had secretly been buying 8,000 Zopiclone tablets, often in large batches, from a supplier in India or Hong Kong.

Zopiclone is only available on prescription in the UK and the inquest heard how doctors had refused to prescribe it to her long term.

Mrs Greenwood’s brother, Nigel Crawley, told the inquest how, on May 21 last year, the anniversary of Mr Evans’ death, his sister had gone to the place where he died and had rung her him in a distressed state.

The court heard that Mrs Greenwood had also previously taken overdoses and had treatment for depression and anxiety.

But in 2012 Mr Greenwood, a company director, said his wife’s behaviour became more unusual and she was taking increasingly large quantities of the foreign bought sleeping tablets.

Mrs Greenwood was admitted to the privately run Priory Hospital in Hale, Cheshire, where she spent 28 days as an inpatient, being treated for her addiction before going back to her Harpers Lane, Smithills home.

However, Area Coroner Alan Walsh was critical that the hospital and its consultant psychiatrist Dr Patrick Mbaya had no procedures or protocols for discharging her from their care and referring her back to her GP after she failed to attend review appointments in January last year.

Mr Walsh has given the hospital 56 days to answer how they will improve the procedures.

The inquest heard how, in the week before her death, Mrs Greenwood had been in a good mood – she had been offered a new job at a school in Chorley and had hosted parties for friends.

But on December 21, after returning home from visiting family, she retreated to the attic room she used when she wanted seclusion.

Mr Greenwood said the next afternoon he left the house to deliver Christmas presents and when he returned that evening his wife was not there.

She was found hanged mid morning the next day in a secluded part of Haslam Park, Deane. An empty and partially filled vodka bottles were in a rucksack nearby along with other items including a part empty packet of Zopiclone tablets.

Forensic toxicologist Julie Evans told the court that the drug was in such a high concentration in Mrs Greenwood’s blood that it could have been lethal and, combined with the alcohol, would have caused drowsiness, possibly to the point of unconsciousness.

Recording a open conclusion into Mrs Greenwood’s death, Mr Walsh said it was the third case he has dealt with in the last year which has involved drugs bought on the internet and the authorities are aware of the problem.

He added that it is not certain whether she deliberately took her own life or was intending to for a time.

“The third scenario is that she was re-enacting or putting herself in the same place or position as Mr Evans at the time of his death,” said Mr Walsh.

“I can’t imagine the torment she went through when she visited that place,” he added.