An ‘inspirational’ young woman who was found hanged had traces of a ‘date rape’ drug in her system, an inquest heard.
Michaela Haines, 25, from Tenby, Wales, was discovered dead in a stairwell in the early hours of December 23 last year.
But her family say ‘inspirational’ and ‘vivacious’ Michaela had no history of suicide attempts and was planning for her future and refuse to believe she killed herself.
Her inquest heard the levels of so-called ‘date rape’ drug GHB in her body were so high they could have caused her drowsiness.
Michaela Haines, 25, from Tenby, Wales, was discovered dead in a stairwell in the early hours of December 23 last year
The 25-year-old (pictured) had no history of suicide attempts and her family refuse to believe she killed herself
A toxicology test showed Michaela was almost twice the drink-drive limit when she died and there were levels of GHB in her system, the hearing was told.
However, the inquest heard it was possible for the body to naturally produce GHB – and it didn’t necessarily mean she had taken it.
Peter Donnison, representing her family, said police failed to investigate if Michaela’s death was anything other than a suicide.
He said: ‘There is no evidence that this is suicide other than the body being found as it was, there was no history of suicide attempts.
‘There are no witnesses present saying they had spoken to her and she was thinking of doing this; on the contrary you had people saying the opposite.’
Mr Donnison also questioned why a policewoman allowed a friend of Michaela’s boyfriend to remove her body instead of preserving the scene.
According to a toxicology test, Michaela (pictured) was almost twice the drink-drive limit when she died
Her inquest heard the levels of so-called ‘date rape’ drug GHB in her body were so high they could have caused her drowsiness
PC Jayne Colley said the man – known only as ‘John’ – went into the block of flats in Tenby and helped her take the body down from above a stairway.
PC Colley told the hearing: ‘I was aware that there was a female hanging, possibly I didn’t want to go in on my own; I have a young daughter.
‘I can’t remember whether I asked him to come or he volunteered, but I am very grateful for him coming in.
‘I was the only officer present at the time. I asked ‘John’ to hold her body as I couldn’t handle her on my own, I didn’t want her to fall down; we laid her on the stairs, we gave her that respect.’
Pathologist Dr Daniel Houser told the inquest there were no signs of suspicious circumstances. The cause of death was given as asphyxia by hanging.
Toxicologist Phillipa Wood said the levels of GHB had been found in blood following a request for a second test – finding 70 milligrams per millilitre of blood, a level which could cause drowsiness.
The inquest in Tenby into Michaela’s death is set to last two weeks.