A woman at first feared murdered was found to have died from alcohol abuse.

Paramedics had called police when they found blood spattered in parts of Linda Taylor’s house in Ashford.

Her husband was arrested but soon released without charge.

The blood had come from superficial cuts after Mrs Taylor, 62, had fallen and injured herself but that did not contribute to the death.

An inquest concluded that she had died of natural causes from alcohol abuse.

Pathologist Dr Ben Swift said: “There were no signs of assault. On the balance of probabilities death was from the result of chronic alcohol abuse. I consider this natural causes.”

Paramedics had been called by husband Edward Taylor to the couple’s home in Ripley Road, Ashford, after Mrs Taylor was found lifeless on the living room floor.

They arrived at the Willesborough house at a little after noon on Saturday, May 25, last year.

The inquest heard the couple had been drinking the day before with just an inch of alcohol left in a bottle of spirit they had consumed.

Mr Taylor went upstairs to bed that evening, May 24, while his wife stayed downstairs watching television.

Det Sgt Watson said that later Mr Taylor heard her scream or shriek and he found her on the landing near the bottom of the stairs.

“There were no signs of assault. On the balance of probabilities death was from the result of chronic alcohol abuse. I consider this natural causes" - Dr Ben Swift

She had fallen but she was able to move into the living room and sit on the armchair.

He asked if she was all right and she replied sharply that she was not but he did not see any blood then so he went back upstairs.

He didn’t see her again until around midday next day when she was already dead.

Mrs Taylor was a mother of two grown-up children.

Alan Blunsdon, assistant coroner for central and south east Kent, said that in the investigation a vase was found broken and it was likely that Mrs Taylor had cut herself on it.

He said that this was a sudden, unexplained death following alcohol abuse but concluded that she died of natural causes.