A WOMAN found dead at Bolberry in September did not intend to harm herself, a coroner’s court has heard.

Rebecca Ann Smythe, 29, was found at the bottom of a cliff near the Port Light Hotel, where she worked, on September 2 this year.

Senior coroner Ian Arrow reopened the inquest on Friday, November 27, and heard evidence from friends, colleagues, experts and police officers.

The post mortem examination carried out on Ms Smythe concluded that she died from multiple injuries to the thorax and brain. The toxicology results show she had 221mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, and ecstasy in her system. The report stated that this could have affected her ‘cognitive and motor function’.

Ms Smythe had gone to her GP in Salcombe a few months earlier, when she had arrived to work at the Port Light, and explained that she had moved down from North Devon and admitted she had been drinking too much for the last five years.

Her GP, Dr Roberts, said she had had therapy and had cut down on her alcohol intake but had generalised anxiety symptoms. She was prescribed medication for anxiety and made a return appointment for September 2.

Statements from colleagues Laura Anderson and Kevin Donnelly, as well as colleague and boyfriend Paul Milner, explained that the night before she died, Ms Smythe had been drinking and socialising in Kevin’s caravan on the hotel grounds.

Her colleagues all considered Ms Smythe to be ‘alcohol dependent’ and that she would regularly drink heavily. They also all stated that she was excited about seeing her brother soon.

Having spent the evening with Ms Smythe, Mr Milner and Mr Donnelly, Ms Anderson left the caravan to go to bed.

At some point around 3.30am, Ms Smythe had an argument with Mr Milner about his ex-girlfriend and she left. When Mr Milner went to look for her, he found her on her bed in her room.

He said Mr Donnelly was ‘good at calming her down’, so he left the two together and returned to his flat. Mr Donnelly and Ms Smythe came to his flat a few minutes later.

Ms Smythe was drunk and spilt beer on Mr Milner before sitting on the edge of the bed and falling off, hitting her head. She appeared to be unhurt, but Mr Donnelly told her to go to bed, and she left.

A bit later, Mr Milner went to check on Ms Smythe. He said he checked her room, Mr Donnelly’s caravan, the bar and the restaurant before assuming she had gone for a walk, either along the cliffs or to a cave or field she often frequented.

Mr Milner checked the caravan and her room once more where he found her phone and keys. He left a note on her bed, asking her to call him when she got back, and went to bed.

When he woke up, Ms Smythe still had not returned. At 11am, the taxi she had booked to take her to the doctor’s appointment in Salcombe turned up, and Mr Milner told the hotel owner that she hadn’t returned, who then contacted the police.

After an extensive search, the coastguard located Ms Smythe’s body and the police collected evidence, witness statements and examined the CCTV at the Port Light Hotel.

Detective Sergeant Turner of Devon and Cornwall Police attended the Port Light to assist with the search.

After Ms Smythe was found, he and his team looked at the CCTV, which showed a ‘lone figure’ walking from the staff accommodation area towards the fields and the cliffs at around 3.45am.

At around 4.50am, a man was seen walk from the staff accommodation to the bar, look around for someone and then return to the accommodation. D/Sgt Turner concluded that this was Mr Milner looking for his girlfriend and that he never crossed the car park and that no one had followed Ms Smythe.

D/Sgt Turner and his team concluded that Ms Smythe’s death was not suspicious and didn’t involve a third party. He said he thought she had either jumped or fallen from the cliff.

Giving his verdict, Mr Arrow recorded an ‘open conclusion’ to the inquest as there was no CCTV or witnesses to what had occurred on that night, but that it was his opinion that due to the excitement of seeing her brother and her intention to keep her doctor’s appointment, that Ms Smythe had not intended to take her own life and had slipped or fallen.