Bolton ex-teacher 39, found dead with pets in terrace house 4 months later

Still you don't have to be friends and family to see that you are not walking the dogs going to the shops and using her car etc.  The police didn't look up the owner of the unlocked car 3 months before.

NHS treatment lacking?

A TALENTED teacher whose body was found at her home months after her death was about to become a children's author.

An inquest in Bolton heard how, among post piled up behind the front door of Helen Gradwell's Heaton home, was a letter from a London publisher accepting her novel, The Nature's Spirits.

Miss Gradwell, aged 39, was found lying face down on the floor of her living room after a concerned neighbour raised the alarm and police forced their way into her terraced house on April 26.

The court heard that Christmas decorations were still up at the Beverley Road property, Miss Gradwell's body was badly decomposed and analysis of her phone revealed she had last used it to send a text message to a friend cancelling a meeting on December 30 last year.

Assistant coroner Timothy Brennand was told by police investigating officer DI Jonathan Kelly that her two beloved pet dogs had also died in the same room.

Miss Gradwell spent her early childhood in Egerton and in a statement her father, Jack Gradwell, described her as a "bright and pretty" child who loved animals, even taking her pet spaniel for a rides in her bicycle basket.

The unmarried former Bolton School sixth form pupil went on to gain a degree in psychology and sociology and teaching qualifications.

But her full time teaching career was cut short by debilitating hemiplegic migraines, which resulted in severe pain and paralysis down one side of her body.

Instead she took up tutoring and, unknown to her family until after her death, began writing books.

She attempted to control her pain with medication prescribed by doctors, including the strong painkiller Tramadol.

Pathologist Jonathan Pearson told the inquest that the condition of Miss Gradwell's body made finding a cause of death difficult, but there were no signs that she had been assaulted by another person.

However, he added that toxicology tests revealed high levels of Tramadol in her body.

"It is the only evidence we have of something abnormal that could explain the sudden death," said Mr Pearson.

"I accept entirely it is not conclusive, but on the balance of probabilities it is the best evidence we have to explain the death."

Miss Gradwell had been dressed in her pyjamas at the time of her death and it is thought she had been sleeping on the sofa as there was a quilt and pillow.

Empty packets of Tramadol capsules were found and it was suggested that Miss Gradwell may have taken too much of the drug in a bid to relieve her migraine pain.

The court heard that her body may have been found sooner if a police community support officer, who found Miss Gradwell's Fiat Punto unlocked in Beverley Road on January 13, had run a police check to find its owner.

However, Mr Brennand stressed that, even if he had, it would not have prevented Miss Gradwell's death.

Recording an open conclusion, Mr Brennand said there was no evidence she had intended to deliberately take her own life — she had recently purchased new clothing, had left no note and it could not be ruled out that she may have suffered a fall.

However, it was her love of her animals which persuaded him she did not kill herself.

"To my mind, she would do nothing that would put the lives of her dogs in peril," he said.

Mr Brennand referred to Miss Gradwell's death as tragic, particularly as her future held so much promise with her potential book deal.

"After many, many months the real character of Helen is something that seemed to be reasserting itself," he said.

Speaking after the inquest Miss Gradwell's stepmother, Bronwen Gradwell said she agreed the animal lover would not have done anything to harm her pets, two-year-old German Shepherd Wesley, five-year-old Springer Spaniel Holly and Wilfred the cat.

"She absolutely adored them. This is why we know she did not do this on purpose," said Mrs Gradwell.

Miss Gradwell sent a synopsis and the first three chapters of her book to the publisher and her family believe she completed the 37,000 word book, but they have been unable to find it.

"We know it must be out there somewhere. If we found it, we would love to publish it and donate the proceeds to animal charities," said Mrs Gradwell.

"At her funeral donations were for the Destitute Animal Shelter. Animals meant everything to her — they were her world."

Family friend Sarah Booth paid tribute to Miss Gradwell, who was intellectual and had a great interest in world religions, becoming a Roman Catholic eight years ago.

"She was a very, very clever girl. She even wrote an article for the Daily Telegraph," said Ms Booth, who added that her friend had battled a cruel illness.

"She was a very bright, determined young woman."

Oh and btw, something not right ere...

I only have one friend(not surprising really) and a cat.....but I would not have the cat if I did not have her.

She would become concerned if she did not hear from me in a relatively short time....so I know the cat would be taken care of

RSPCA Home for Life.

Still this women had not my reached my age(pensioner) so would not have been expecting to die. She was still a little to isolated
I feel.

It is a condemnation of our modern societies I feel

Shocking and unbearably sad.

Everyone on Chit Chat is your friend

Could give you nightmares.

There was a film made of the most tragic called 'dreams of a life' where the woman wasnt found for three years.

I used to suffer from Ocular Migraines which are identical to  Hemiplegic Migraines except you dont get muscle weakness.

Its the muscle weakness that is actually the worst sign in migranes suffers and I am slightly surprised no mention was made of strokes, since theres a direct correlation between the two.

Im only slightly surprised because GPs etc havnt got a foggiest about migranes and its a specialist that needs consulting over serious migranes such as these, and they would have said a stroke was pretty high on the causation of death imo.

It's shocking that someones daughter could be dead for so long and no alarm bells were ringing.

I recall the case of the woman whos dog ate her face and she survived.

As for cats, they are parasites ffs, close your eyes too long and they'd have a go.

There was a story of a cat 'warning its owner of a house fire' and all cat lovers got damp over it.

The reality was the cat wanted feeding and couldnt give two foks about the fire

Having to live in a terrace must be bad enough....but decomposing in one

Awful

Broadmoor?

No one heard dogs barking or screaming until dying of de-hydration? None of her 'friends' came round to see if she was ok knowing of her illness? None of her family the same? No smell reported? Absolute balderdash..

The breakdown of communities and  society  these days means that people no longer live in the same street, house , flat etc for very long, Older neighbours die then you have people in and out of properties who shut the doors to the outside world , more people are single than ever before and spend a lot of their spare time watching tv or on computers etc , im surprised this sort of thing does not happen more

Cats contain Toxoplasma gondii that originates in rats.
Its only within the last ten years where data mining has opened up the secrets of parasites that patterns have been detected between early human death and cat ownership.

The belief is that the parasite controls the cat to a certain extent until it makes its way into the human, where it changes the thought process of the human, makes them more likely to kill themself or die due to hampered reactions (car crashes etc) so that the parasite can get into something else.

I love all animals, bat cats most of all. They are all so much better than humans.

No sure why Friends or Family should be Making any comments ,They are neither IMO

I used have a good friend at the Dogs we would have a couple of beers of an evening Etc

He was in his 70s ,then he Didnt turned up for a few Meets ,I became concerned as he had

suffered from Throat cancer ,I didnt have his address or phone number,I knew his nephew owned

a dog with a trainer at Romford ,I put

up a message on BF greyhounds for the trainer who was told about it ,He told the Nephew

Sadly they found my Friend dead in bed as he had been for over a week but at least

he was not left for Months, he was a lovely fellow

Lovely story case, well done yourself

Crisp77  • August 8, 2016 9:38 PM BST 
I think all people who live alone should have milk delivered.

That is a good idea Crisp. When everybody had milk delivered, milk not taken in was a sign things may not be well within.

No sure why Friends or Family should be Making any comments ,They are neither IMO

I tend to agree case. This women was a battler we can see that. But I think she was also very vulnerable.
She needed to be kept an eye on, even if only for her pets sake.

This is not showing modern society in a very good light. I feel we are becoming a much more insular society than in the past.
Several reasons for that, one is our technology. I feel, people can live more from home now.
Too much in this woman's case.