A SUICIDAL mother-of-three killed herself after being prescribed too many pills at one time, an inquest heard. A coroner was told how Dr Jonathan Haigh gave eight week's worth of the drug Propranalol to 41-year-old Linda Brown.

A SUICIDAL mother-of-three killed herself after being prescribed too many pills at one time, an inquest heard.

A coroner was told how Dr Jonathan Haigh gave eight week's worth of the drug Propranalol to 41-year-old Linda Brown. Two days later she was found dead in the Bentley Tower Hotel, in Norwich Road.

A consultant psychiatrist caring for Mrs Brown had written to the Framfield House Surgery in St John's Street, Woodbridge, where Mrs Brown was a patient, warning her doctors to prescribe a week's dose at a time. Dr Haigh had not read the letter.

Described in court as “bubbly, outgoing and an adoring mother and wife”, Mrs Brown's mood changed in the weeks before her death as problems in her marriage began to overwhelm her.

Mrs Brown had tried to kill herself twice in the weeks before her death by taking a cocktail of prescribed pain killers and anti-depressants.

After leaving the family home in Orchard Close, Woodbridge, she took a taxi to the Carlton Hotel, in Berners Street, Ipswich. Later that evening Mrs Brown left the Carlton Hotel and went to the Bentley Tower Hotel, probably as a way of making sure she was not found, the court heard.

Taking the witness stand during the hour and a half long inquest, Dr Haigh passed his condolences to Mrs Brown's husband Adrian Brown who attended the hearing.

He said Mrs Brown had visited him on May 5 2005 two days before she died. A post mortem toxicology report stated she had more than twice the lethal dose of Propranalol in her system.

“Linda stated she had no suicidal feelings and would not take an overdose. This turned out to be false.

“With hindsight there are regrets at the issue of the repeat prescription for her migraines,” he said.

During the inquest, held in Ipswich yesterday , Suffolk coroner Dr Peter Dean said the evidence showed there was nothing to suggest Dr Haigh had carried out anything other than a careful assessment of Mrs Brown and he agreed there was no evidence of suicidal intent at the time of the appointment.

The surgery has since changed internal rules to ensure information passed to doctors about patients is put on the practice's computer system.

The court heard she left the family home in Orchard Close, Melton, saying she wanted time alone. She was found dead by hotel staff the next day.

Dr Dean recorded a verdict of suicide.

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