Drink and drugs link to mother's death

The broken-hearted mother of children's TV star Mark Speight died after taking a combination of alcohol and sedatives at her Wolverhampton home, an inquest heard.

Jacqui Speight, an aromatherapist and former art teacher, was found by her other son Jason at the home they shared in Mill Lane, Tettenhall Wood.

The 62-year-old died on September 5, five months after 42-year-old Mark, who fronted BBC art show SMart, was found hanged at Paddington train station following the inquest on his fiancee, presenter Natasha Collins.

Natasha had died in a bath of boiling hot water in January last year at their London home following a cocaine and alcohol binge. A post mortem found evidence of sedative chlomethiazole, the painkiller codeine and 259mg per decilitre of alcohol in Mrs Speight's blood - three and a half times the legal drink drive limit.

A pathologist also found Mrs Speight was suffering from a liver condition which had contributed to her death.

Coroner Richard Allen said there was no evidence to suggest Mrs Speight intended to take her own life and he recorded an open verdict. At an inquest at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court yesterday her younger son Jason told how his mother had been looking "fragile" when he left her to go to work.

He said: "I left her watching the television at around 8.30pm. I did not want to leave her but I had no choice and had to go to work.

He told the court his mother had been looking forward to setting up the Sp8 of the Art foundation for children to development art talents in memory of her son, a former pupil of Regis High School in Tettenhall, now The King's School.

Pc Laura Tweedie of Bilston Street police station said she had seen three wine bottles in Mrs Speight's bedroom.

Jason Speight was joined at the inquest by Mark's sister, Tina Richmond.