Drink to blame for death of woman, 37

AN alcoholic who drunk himself unconscious with a friend did not realise she had died.

Darren Jackson called an ambulance when he woke and started suffering fits at his flat in Middleton Road, Chadderton.

But it was only when paramedics arrived that it was discovered that mother-of-two Gillian Le-page had died.

An inquest heard yesterday that divorced Mrs Le-page, at one time a committed Jehovah’s Witness, developed drink problems when her children were at primary school.

Originally from Stockport, the 37-year-old met Mr Jackson at an alcohol rehabilitation centre in Oldham.

They would drink a litre of vodka each in the space of a couple of hours every day, passing out before waking up with the shakes.

Mrs Le-page, of Grange Court, Werneth, died on December 16, last year, and Mr Jackson was initially arrested, but no criminally suspicious circumstances were found.

He was inconsolable and said in a statement: “I just thought she had passed out. I did not think in my wildest dreams she had died.”

Mrs Le-page had more than five times the legal alcohol limit for driving in her blood and died of acute alcohol intoxication.

Coroner Simon Nelson recorded a verdict of misadventure.