A DIABETIC woman from St Albans who was found dead in a bath full of water suffered from heart disease, an inquest heard last week. Diane Dockree, 46, was discovered by her son last November submerged in the bath at her home on The Ridgeway. Paramedics a

A DIABETIC woman from St Albans who was found dead in a bath full of water suffered from heart disease, an inquest heard last week.

Diane Dockree, 46, was discovered by her son last November submerged in the bath at her home on The Ridgeway. Paramedics' attempts to resuscitate her failed and she was pronounced dead upon arrival at the QEII Hospital in Welwyn Garden City.

Diane, who had two children, was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 11 and, according to a statement from her GP Dr Harriet Strain read at last Thursday's inquest, she had difficulties managing the disease and sometimes forgot to take her insulin.

But a post-mortem report completed by Dr Motez Al-Izzi revealed normal levels of insulin in Diane's blood and, because there was no excessive water in her air passages or stomach, Dr Al-Izzi concluded that the submersion in water played only a minor role in the mode of her death.

The post-mortem did, however, find evidence of severe coronary atheroma, with an 80 per cent narrowing in Diane's left coronary artery. According to Dr Al-Izzi, this condition caused severe ischemic heart disease, which was to blame for her death.

Deputy coroner for Herts David Pidgeon recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.