Woman’s skeletal remains found in flat three-and-a-half years after she died

Wednesday, October 02, 2024 - The family of a woman who was lying dead in her flat for more than three years was found by her brother, an inquest has heard.

Laura Winham’s family raised concerns about her welfare almost two months before she was found dead in her flat in Surrey, UK in May 2021.

Ms Winham, who was 41 as at when discovered, was found after her loved ones asked police to break into her home following concerns about her safety.

She was ‘abandoned and left to die’ by social and mental health services according to her family and she died in November 2017, three-and-a-half years before her body was found.

An inquest into her death which opened at Surrey Coroner’s Court on Tuesday, October 1 heard that Ms Winham’s family had contacted Woking Borough Council (WBC) two months before the discovery of her body and that a subsequent welfare check carried out at her home went unanswered.

A statement from a former employee at New Vision Homes, which was the landlord contractor for WBC from 2015 to April 2022, said: ‘Ms Winham’s sister reached out on March 31, 2021 to ask if New Vision Homes had been in contact with her. Her family said a lot of post had gathered and they were concerned about her.

‘Woking Borough Council completed a door knock which received no answer. It was at the end of May that New Vision Homes were told she had been found dead.’

The statement added that it was ‘clear she was vulnerable’ and that ‘she should have been flagged as vulnerable as this would have alerted New Vision Homes and WBC to her vulnerability.’

The inquest also heard that numerous attempts had been made by authorities to contact Ms Winham prior to the discovery of her body.

In November 2018, gas company TSG contacted her regarding an annual gas check on December 6, 2018 but no response was received.

The company made several attempts to contact her by phone and post before her gas supply was stopped in January 2019.

A statement read to the court said: ‘Since bringing housing function back in-house strict measures have been put in place. Home visits, calls and contacting next of kin to assist the situation. New process ensures injunctions can be sought to gain access to homes.’

In March 2021, WBC carried out a visit to her home to ask if she had been affected by large groups of people gathering in communal areas outside her flat. A knock at her door went unanswered and there were ‘no further reports on this issue.’

Ms Winham’s sister Nicky previously said her family had been unable to maintain contact with her after years of schizophrenia caused her to believe they would harm her.

The court was told that she had been served an eviction notice in April 2014 after falling into rent arrears of £1,579.

Her rent arrears were subsequently paid by a third party and the eviction did not happen.

The inquest continues.