A WOMAN found dead in her Oxford home died from a combination of malnutrition and uncontrolled diabetes, an inquest heard today.

The body of unemployed Rebecca Ford, 46, was found by police at her first floor flat in Princes Street, East Oxford, on August 3, 2008, after they forced the door.

An inquest at Oxford Coroner’s Court heard Miss Ford had a long history of mental illness and depression and had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

In a statement read to the court her GP, Dr Richard Stevens, said: “It was unclear what medication she was taking and what dose.

“I was trying to persuade her to take regular medication, but she came across as suspicious and reluctant to take treatment.”

She had not been seen by a doctor since January 2007.

Her brother, Dr Marcus Ford, told the inquest Miss Ford had lost half her body weight since he had last seen her a year before.

He said: “My mother and I were absolutely deeply disturbed by the whole proceedings and when I saw her I was highly shocked because I hardly recognised her.

“With the benefit of hindsight, we should have visited Rebecca more.”

He said that since her death, he had discovered she had not been receiving income support since moving to the flat in early 2007 and appeared not to have withdrawn any money from her bank account since August 2007.

Recording a verdict of death by natural causes, Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Gardiner said: “It seems to me reasonably clear help might have been available to Rebecca Ford if she had asked for it.

“On the balance of probability she died as a combination of malnutrition and uncontrolled diabetes, which is a vicious circle you can get into.”

Mr Gardiner told the inquest: “She died from natural causes aggravated by self neglect.”