A WITNEY mother died from methadone use brought on by her estrangement from her children, her husband said.

Jillian Jones, 46, was found dead on April 23 following a cardiac and respiratory arrest caused by methadone, an inquest in Oxford heard.

Her sons Oliver, 16, and Milo, 10, were living in London with their father Dominic Jones at the time, on the recommendation of social services.

Mr Jones, an antiquities dealer, said his wife had simply been “too full of life”.

He said: “It might sound like a cliche, but she really was just a bit too full of zest for life.”

Mr Jones, who said his job kept them apart, said: “Our sons had come to stay with me because Jill had just overslept one too many times and social services thought it best.

“But Oliver and Milo absolutely adored their mother. I’m hoping we can try to move on with our lives in Australia.”

The whole family had planned to move to Australia next year, Mr Jones said – a move he still intends to make.

He said he knew she had been taking small doses of methadone and had warned her of the dangers of continued use of the drug.

He said: “I wish this had never happened, but it’s a warning to others about what can happen when you mess with a drug like methadone.”

The mother-of-two, from Sherbourne Road, had a history of alcohol abuse, but was not a regular drug user.

The court heard that the source of the methadone she used was unknown, but Mr Jones told the coroner he was sure it was not prescribed by a doctor.

Mrs Jones had been staying with a friend, Melvin Hillier, in Bourton Close, Witney, at the time of her death Mr Hillier told Oxford Coroner’s Court that Mrs Jones had been tired all week, and had been asleep much of the time.

Her body was found by neighbours at around 11pm. Attempts were made to revive her but she was pronounced dead.

Mr Hillier said: “I hadn’t known she was taking drugs, not in my house anyway.”

Coroner Nicholas Gardiner said: “We have heard how Mrs Jones used to take methadone, probably not on a regular basis or in such large doses.

“These kinds of drug users often do not realise they build up a tolerance and then lose that tolerance when they don’t take the drug for an extended period.

“She may have tried to take the same dose she took last time, or it may have been more concentrated, because we don’t know where she got it from.

“Either way, it is clear she slipped into a coma and died on April 23.”

Mr Gardiner recorded a verdict of accidental death.