A woman lay dead on a sofa for up to three weeks before being discovered, an inquest heard.
Herts Coroner’s Court was told Malinda Jones, of Pudding Lane, Hemel Hempstead, was found in the living room on March 2 after police broke down the door when her daughter raised the alarm.
The 53-year-old had a history of mental illness and a post mortem examination revealed the cause of death to be ‘lethal cardiac dysrhythmia’, when the heart suddenly stops.
Coroner Edward Thomas, recording a verdict of natural causes, said: “Determining the cause of death in this case is extremely difficult.
“It’s difficult to be clear about exactly when she died but she had not been seen for about three weeks.”