Heroin overdose killed Paula Yates

Heroin victim Paula Yates, with daughter Tiger Lily

LONDON,England -- British television personality Paula Yates died from a heroin overdose, a coroner has ruled at an inquest.

Yates, 40, was found dead at her home in London in September -- three years after her lover, rock singer Michael Hutchence, was found dead in a hotel room in Australia.

Dr Paul Knapman said her death was the result of "an unsophisticated taker of heroin" using drugs.

Westminster Coroner Court in central London heard that 0.3mg of morphine per litre of blood was found in her body, which would not have been enough to kill her had she been a heroin addict.

"The evidence does not point towards this being a deliberate act of suicide," Dr Knapman said.

"It seems most improbable that she would attempt to kill herself with her daughter in the house. Her behaviour was foolish and incautious at that time."

A friend told the inquest that Yates, who had one daughter by Hutchence and three by her ex-husband Bob Geldof, had been taking drugs the day before she was found dead.

Yates and Hutchence together

Belinda Brewin said: "She was slightly staggering, her eyelids were drooping, she was slightly incoherent, I could tell that she had been taking drugs."

Brewin told the inquest Yates had claimed the pressure of being back in London had made her take drugs.

"I thought that was a rather pathetic excuse," said Brewin.

Another friend, Charlotte Korshak, also told the inquest that she had been with Yates the day before she was found dead.

Korshak said she had attended a rehabilitation clinic in 1999 because of her difficulty with heroin addiction.

Korshak added: "She was worried about a book that was coming out by Michael Hutchence's mother, apart from that she was in good spirits."

The coroner asked her "if she had supplied Miss Yates with illegal drugs in the days before her death", and Korshak replied: "Absolutely not."

Yates shot to fame in the 1980s as co-presenter of Channel 4's Music show, The Tube. She had four children - Fifi Trixibelle, 17, Peaches, 11 and Pixie, 10, by Bob Geldof and Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily by Michael Hutchence.

Hutchence, singer with the rock band INXS was found hanged by a belt in his hotel room in Sydney in November, 1997. Yates had always refused to accept the coroner's conclusion that Hutchence had committed suicide.

Following Miss Yates' death, Tiger Lily was made a ward of court and is being cared for by Geldof, who already had custody of his three children.

Paula Yates: Celebrity beset by tragedy
September 17, 2000
Geldof may face custody challenge over Tiger Lily
September 19, 2000
INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence found dead in hotel room
Nov. 22, 1997

The Michael Hutchence Memorial Website
Bob Geldof Homepage

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