A Tooting woman who police suspected was killed by her boyfriend actually died from a prolonged epileptic fit, an inquest has heard.

Terri Barton, 29, of Flanders Cresent, was found by one of her boyfriend’s flatmates, Claude Duron, on June 7 covered with over 50 bruises and a bleeding nose, which police initially believed was suspicious, the inquest was told.

The previous night on June 6, Ms Barton’s boyfriend Jamie Coates, of Shipka Road, had himself attempted to commit suicide by swallowing up to 40 anti-depressants and downing 10 cans of super-strong lager, the coroner was told.

Mr Coates was admitted to the psychiatric ward at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Roehampton that night so when police were called to his house the following day to find his stricken girlfriend they assumed the 30-year-old was involved and he was arrested for attempted murder, Westminster Coroner's Court was told.

However, it subsequently became clear that Mr Coates had not been at home when Ms Barton collapsed and he was released without further questioning following a post mortem examination.

Pathologist Dr Peter Wilkins discovered Ms Barton was epileptic, saying her epilepsy could have been brought on by her cocaine and heroin use, and had not taken her prescribed anti-epilepsy drugs for a couple of days.

This had caused her to start fitting violently, involuntarily banging her legs and arms against doors, bannisters and walls, which caused the majority of the bruises, the inquest heard.

It later transpired that Mr Duron had heard banging noises at about 6am on Sunday morning but had ignored them because, as a result of Ms Barton’s drug use, he had become accustomed to her making excessive noise, the coroner was told.

He left the house for a few hours but upon his return at about 2pm he found Ms Barton still fitting and called an ambulance.

She was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead at 5.50pm.

Dr Shirley Radcliffe, of Westminster Coroner’s Court, said: “I therefore record that Terri Barton died from epilepsy.

“There has been a thorough police investigation and I conclude that she died of natural causes.”