Tara Newbold inquest: Coroner rules death was drug-related
A coroner has concluded that a mother's death was drug-related - despite her partner subjecting her to a "horrifying assault" shortly before.
Even Duane Ballin thought he had killed Tara Newbold by beating her with a rolling pin, as he told police "I think I've killed my girlfriend". However, a pathologist found her most likely cause of death was cocaine toxicity. Miss Newbold's family believe Ballin forced her to take the drug. The inquest did not determine how she came to ingest the cocaine, but the coroner said she may have taken it "to anaesthetise the undoubted agony she must have been in". 'No glimmer of humanity' Andrew McNamara, assistant coroner for Nottinghamshire, was highly critical of Ballin and accused him of lying in his evidence at the inquest. "My invitation to him to help the family understand appears to have fallen on either deaf or cynical ears," Mr McNamara said . "His evidence was largely emotionless and there appeared to be not even a glimmer of humanity." Speaking after the inquest, Miss Newbold's mother, Julie Dury, said the conclusion was "the best we could hope for given the scope of the coroners court". "There was no evidence of Tara ever taking drugs previously and there was confirmation that the drugs that killed her were consumed during the beating she received," Mrs Dury said. Miss Newbold, 29, died at her home in Alford Court, West Bridgford, on 25 October 2016. The inquest in Nottingham was the third time her death had been explored by a court. The first was during family court proceedings, as the couple had three children together. The second was a criminal trial at Nottingham Crown Court, where Ballin was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. The judge gave him an extended sentence of 18 years, comprising a custodial term of 15 years and a further licence period of three years. Miss Newbold's family pushed for a full inquest to be held because they hoped it would show Ballin was responsible for her death, and that she was not a drug user. The pathologist who carried out the post-mortem examination found no evidence of Miss Newbold having previously used cocaine, such as damage to her nasal septum. "I didn't find any evidence in this case," said Dr Michael Biggs. "That doesn't mean cocaine hasn't been used in the past. There's just no evidence it was." Cocaine toxicity Dr Biggs told the inquest he found 37 separate areas of injury on the outside of Miss Newbold's body, together with fractured ribs and a partially collapsed left lung. However, he stood by his original post-mortem report, in which he said cocaine toxicity was the most likely cause of death. This was despite another pathologist, instructed by the family, saying her injuries could not be excluded from having played a part in her death. "The injuries look and sound horrific but they aren't fatal," said Dr Biggs. "That dose of cocaine is so large it is sufficient to explain her death." Ballin was brought from prison in order to represent himself at the inquest and give evidence. He said he had left the family home after falling out with Miss Newbold, stayed at a hotel where he was unfaithful with another woman, then returned home after Miss Newbold told him she was ill. He said there was an "altercation" and he admitted hitting his partner with a rolling pin while their children were in the house. However, he tried to minimise the severity of the attack. When the coroner described it as "sadistic and prolonged" he said this was "not true". Mr McNamara said of Ballin: "Even now, when he has little to lose, he appears unwilling to engage with the truth." The coroner said Miss Newbold "was not a drug user to the extent that Ballin wishes to portray her". He addressed a number of possible explanations for how Miss Newbold came to ingest the fatal dose of cocaine. Mr McNamara said it would be "unsafe" to conclude Ballin forced her to ingest it, but said it would "certainly be within the range of behaviour that would be consistent with the way he tortured her". He also said she could have "possibly" ingested the fatal amount accidentally, but "cannot infer that". Miss Newbold had a torn frenulum - a fold of skin in her mouth - which her family say was evidence Ballin forced her to ingest the drug. However, the coroner said it was "equally as likely" that this injury resulted from the "grotesque beating" by Ballin. Ballin admitted being a regular cocaine user himself. The coroner said: "Given his involvement in buying and selling cocaine it would be surprising, given his controlling nature, that he had not prevailed upon her so that she too took the drug." After Ballin was taken away in handcuffs the coroner told Miss Newbold's family: "It is a truly shocking case and you have my sincere condolences."