Mother-of-ten, 32, died in a house fire after drinking and taking cocaine

A mother-of-ten died in a house fire after drinking alcohol and taking cocaine – despite her brave partner’s attempt to rescue her, an inquest has heard. 

Kelly-Marie Watton, 32, had been alone in the house in Holywell, North Wales when the fire started just after midnight on June 20 last year, the court in Ruthin County Hall was told.

Ms Watton’s partner, Daniel Cooper, was with his friends that evening and drove to the property after one of them heard what had happened. 

After arriving at the scene just before the fire service, Mr Cooper, who did not have the keys to the property at the time, repeatedly tried to kick the door down before he finally gained entry by running through it.

Mr Cooper, who was Ms Watton’s partner of six years and father to five of her children, found her on the sofa in the living room, which was covered in smoke and soot. 

He then dragged her out of the house and attempted CPR, but Ms Watton was tragically pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics at 2:03am. 

A postmortem conducted by Home Office pathologist Dr Brian Rogers revealed that Ms Watton’s body, which was heavily sooted, had a blood alcohol level of 302mg per 100ml at the time of her death. 

Assistant coroner for North Wales, Kate Sutherland, heard that levels above 300mg can lead to a loss consciousness.

Traces of cocaine and prescribed medication were also found in Ms Watton’s system.

Kelly-Marie Watton, 32, died after being pulled from her flaming home in Holywell, North Wales in in the early hours of June 20 last year by her partner Daniel Cooper, who had returned home from a night out

The medical cause of death was given as inhalation of smoke and fire gases.

When investigating the cause of the blaze, the fire service could not rule out an electrical fault, a poorly discarded cigarette, or a deliberate attempt on Ms Watton’s behalf to ignite it due to her possible state of mind at the time, the inquest heard. 

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The hearing was told Mr Cooper (pictured with Ms Watton) attempted CPR outside the home but she was pronounced dead at the scene

The security of the house was also compromised due to a missing window pane in the back door.

The fire started in the corner of the living room on the ground floor where a pile of clothes, a wicker storage basket and a lamp were located. 

A television was also located nearby as was a ‘partially melted’ lighter, according to the fire investigator who could not determine the exact cause of the blaze due to the number of possible causes.

CCTV footage taken from a camera from across the road on the Holway estate showed how the living room light was switched on at 12:08am and switched off shortly afterwards.

By 12:33am, the footage showed smoke inside the house with the fire visible by 12:40am. 

A neighbour alerted the fire service at 1:13am by which time the fire had fully developed, according to fire investigator Timothy Owen who appeared as a witness at the court in Ruthin County Hall yesterday.

Fire investigator Timothy Owen said the fire started in the corner of the living room on the ground floor where a pile of clothes, a wicker storage basket and a lamp were located

Ms Watton, who was born in Cardiff, was known to smoke in the living room, though any trace of a cigarette at the scene would have been destroyed by the fire, the coroner said. 

The missing window pane also allowed for more oxygen to flow through the room which accelerated the fire which went on to spread across the first floor of the two storey end-of-terrace house.

The coroner concluded that the death was an accident and said that the considerable number of people who had chosen to attend the inquest showed the regard for the 32-year-old. 

Ms Sutherland also praised Mr Cooper’s efforts in trying to save his partner, adding: ‘The courage and bravery Mr Cooper showed in helping Kelly that night is something that is profound.’

The coroner concluded that the death was an accident.