A DOMESTIC violence victim who suffered from alcoholism died aged 44 due to an accidental head injury, an inquest heard.

Gail Gregory, from Astley Bridge, started drinking excessively after being abused by her former partner in the early 2000s when she was also diagnosed with depression.

She carried bottles of vodka in her handbag and in the months leading up to her death on July 21 2016 she would regularly drink two or three bottles of the spirit per week, the inquest heard.

She was found unresponsive at her home in Gresham Street by her landlord, who called the emergency services – but was pronounced dead at the scene by North West Ambulance Service staff.

At an inquest at Bolton Coroner’s Court, detective sergeant Robert Parker of Greater Manchester Police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Ms Gregory's death and no third party involvement.

DS Parker added that there were empty alcohol bottles around the apartment and in the bins outside.

Dr Patrick Waugh, the consultant histopathologist from the Royal Bolton Hospital who carried out the post-mortem, said alcohol levels in her blood were three times that of the drink-driving limit.

Dr Waugh told assistant coroner for Manchester West, Rachael Griffin, that he believed from his findings that Ms Gregory died from a small head trauma exacerbated by long-term alcohol use.

He explained how her alcoholic fatty liver disease made it difficult for her blood to clot, and that a small bump on the head was probably what caused swelling on the brain.

Due to her alcoholism, Ms Gregory was embarrassed and for long periods of time became distant from her family.

But between 2015 and her death she made several efforts to interact with voluntary drug and alcohol services and rehabilitation centres.

Ms Gregory’s mother, Lilian Gregory, said when she saw her daughter in May this year she looked “really well”.

In a statement read out in court, Mrs Gregory said: “I told her how great she looked and told her to keep it up and not drink again.”

Recording a narrative verdict, Ms Griffin said Ms Gregory died from an accidental head injury that was made worse by both her long-term and immediate drinking.

She said she could not determine exactly what had caused the traumatic head injury, or the exact time that it occurred, but that on the balance of probability it was likely to be an accidental injury.

Ms Griffin added: “It is clear to me that Gail was a lady who battled with alcohol throughout the latter stages of her life.

“There were times when she managed to overcome this, but unfortunately she always relapsed and returned to using alcohol, which she eventually succumbed to.”