INQUEST ARCHIVE: 'Sweet-toothed Queen' died while running a bath

A "SWEET-toothed" woman died from a heart attack while she was running a bath, the Essex News and Investigations inquest archive can report.

Keziban Bekir, 65, from Lincoln Way, Enfield, was found unresponsive sitting in the bath with her head out of the water by her family on April 23 2012.

At an inquest in April 2013, Susan Rees, coroner's officer, said: "The tap was running and the water overflowing. She was pulled out and an ambulance called. Police attended and there were no suspicious circumstances."

A post mortem examination gave the cause of death as acute heart failure contributed to by obesity.

Toxicology tests showed "therapeutic levels" of a prescription drug which the Cypriot-born mum of four had been taking for a medical issue.

Asked by coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray about her weight, Mehmet Bekir, one of her two sons, said: "She was Queen-sized. She loved her food. She had a sweet tooth, I think we have all got it. She loved having a bath, it was how she relaxed."

Mrs Beasley-Murray read a letter from the family to the court which said she was in good spirits and had just celebrated her 65th birthday.

It said: "She had pain in her leg, but was on painkillers. She enjoyed visiting her family and friends. She missed Dad, but put her focus into the family and there were no signs of depression."

Mrs Bekir was staying with her son at his home in Felstead, Essex, when she died.

Mrs Beasley-Murray said: "She died of natural causes. She clearly was a much-loved mother."

Essex News and Investigations Inquest Archive

While covering inquests for the Basildon Echo, our editor Jon Austin would sometimes write up cases for other areas and send them to local newspapers, but many were never published. They are now being published for the record for the first time several years later.