A BARROW mum-of-two who had a history of substance misuse died a drug-related death, an inquest heard.

Paula Charnley died at the age of 40 at Furness General Hospital on February 27, Cockermouth Coroner’s Court was told.

Paramedics attended the scene and managed to gain a pulse before she was airlifted to hospital where she later died, the hearing heard.

The Greengate Street resident’s mother Julia Charnley described her daughter as a popular woman who had lots of friends. She said she was loved by everyone around her.

“She was the youngest of four and sister to Anna, Cheryle, and Kerry,” she said in a statement.

“They had a fantastic love and friendship with each other.

“She was a little character and would always speak her mind.

“Looking back, it looked like all the other children on the Newton Brow estate were her friends.”

Mrs Charnley said her daughter had two children after meeting Simon Kempton, whom she was with for 14 years.

She said it was around this time she started to get into drugs and that after they split in 2010 the drugs took more and more of a toll on her.

“She then got in a relationship with Darren Kerr," she said.

“I heard a lot of rumours.

“When I did call her, I could always hear Darren in the background.”

The inquest heard paramedics who attended the scene reported bruising and cuts to Miss Charnley's right eye and cheek.

In a statement from PC Lindow, Mr Kerr said she sustained these injuries due to a fall onto a table.

Senior coroner Kally Cheema said the injuries did not cause her death.

One of the paramedics who attended the scene described drug paraphernalia in the house and said Mr Kerr was visibly intoxicated on substances, the inquest heard.

A toxicology report found Miss Charnley had several drugs in her system including opioids and cocaine, and that the cause of her death was multiple drug toxicity which lead to aspiration pneumonia (vomit inhalation).

“Paula’s death was drug related,” the coroner said.

“This does not mean it was a drug overdose or that she did this deliberately.”