'Tee-total' company director, 61, who drowned in pond at her £1.3million country house was drunk and had 'rocks and bricks tied to her', inquest hears
- Annabel Lucas, 61, was found dead at her rural home in Herriard, Hampshire
- She drowned in a pond at her £1.3m Grade II-listed mansion in March 2019
- Toxicology report revealed she was four-and-a-half times over drink-drink limit
- Ms Lucas was also discovered with objects inside 'well-tied knots' in her clothes
A 'tee-total' company director who drowned in a pond at her £1.3million country house was four-and-a-half times over the drink-drive limit and had 'rocks and bricks' tied in knots in her clothes, an inquest heard today.
Annabel Lucas, 61, was found dead by her brother on the grounds of her Grade II-listed rural home on the outskirts of Basingstoke, Hampshire - three days after her last known contact with anyone.
She was discovered at the 500-year-old property with objects including rocks, stones and bricks inside a series of 'well-tied knots' in her clothing, it was heard.
However, mystery remains over how the 'relatively slight' woman became so intoxicated and how she came to drown on March 3, 2019.
A toxicology report suggested such high levels of alcohol could have left Ms Lucas in a state of 'stupor' or 'semi-conscious', with police officers who visited Whitewood Cottage in Herriard smelling 'alco-gel' hand sanitiser.
Ms Lucas, who ran a number of property firms according to Companies House, also had a potentially fatal amount of codeine in her system.
But at a pre-inquest review hearing at Winchester Coroner's Court today, coroner Jason Pegg asked how the knots were tied if Ms Lucas had been in such an intoxicated state - outlining questions which needed to be answered before a full inquest this April.
Annabel Lucas, 61, was found dead by her brother on the grounds of her country home on the outskirts of Basingstoke, Hampshire - three days after her last known contact with anyone
She was discovered with objects including rocks, stones and bricks inside a series of 'well-tied knots' in her clothing, it was heard
Mr Pegg said: 'A toxicology report said that she had four-and-a-half times the drink-drive limit in alcohol [in her system] and had a level of codeine which could be fatal.'
He added: 'Clearly one of the issues is how she came to be in the pond.
'[In police body worn camera footage] it's quite apparent that within her clothing were objects like rocks and bricks.
'It shows her by the pond and how they were securely within her clothing. It shows how she came to be in the pond.'
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A toxicology report said the level of alcohol found in her body could render her 'in stupor' or 'semi-conscious'.
Mr Pegg said police reported smelling 'alco-gel' when they visited and one witness saw an 'orange bottle' by her body, which could have been alcohol such as gin.
'She was a relatively slight woman and it's my understanding she was tee-total, or certainly didn't consume much alcohol, at all,' he said.
A toxicology report suggested such high levels of alcohol could have left Ms Lucas in a state of 'stupor' or 'semi-conscious', with police officers who visited Whitewood Cottage in Herriard smelling 'alco-gel' hand sanitiser
'The police footage shows there are a number of well-tied knots. There was a degree of weight with the rocks and bricks.
'If she was in a state of semi-consciousness as the toxicologist suggests, clearly a question is how the knots were tied.'
Mr Pegg said it is vital the inquest discovers what happened leading up to Ms Lucas' death.
He added: 'Did she drink? Where did she get it from? Was it whisky or something like that? That's all going to be relevant.
'How did she come to have these rocks and stones tied to her?'
It was previously reported that Ms Lucas suffered an allergic reaction to chemicals before she fell in the pond.
At today's hearing, Mr Pegg said she suffered from rare chronic condition 'multiple chemical sensitivity'.
But Mr Pegg said the condition will 'not form a substantial plank at this inquest'.
Members of Ms Lucas' family, including partner Christopher Garton - who was not believed to have been at the home when she died - attended the virtual hearing as well as solicitors.
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