A woman from Loudwater died of an accidental cocaine overdose after showing her boyfriend cash and telling him the money was for therapy, an inquest heard this week.

Rebecca Ousby, who lived in a mobile home park in Rayners Avenue had chopped up cocaine using credit cards after arguing with her boyfriend in February this year.

The coroner was told the 30-year-old had been carrying out internet searches to find a way to get help for cocaine addiction, had been making plans to start a family and proudly showed her boyfriend £250 which she claimed was for therapy, just minutes before she died.

James Smith told the inquest in a statement that he and Rebecca had been in a relationship for a year but had known each other since childhood and he was concerned about her drinking and use of cocaine, especially as they were trying for a baby.

Rebecca and James had attended a dinner with family on February 10 when he said her mood suddenly changed.

He said: “There was no argument or bad vibes between any of us. As Rebecca and I got home I had a beer and she had a glass of wine.

“Around this time she was getting a bit aggy, she was looking to have an argument as an excuse to get drunk and use cocaine so I left her and went back to mine.

“I woke up early just after 7am the next day to go to Rebecca's house and when I got there a bottle of wine was on the counter and I knew that Becca was drinking because the glass had a straw in it.

“I saw the remnants of cocaine on the chopping board and saw Rebecca’s cards were left out next to the chopping board which may have been used to cut the cocaine.

“Rebecca came out and asked me to fix the boiler, which I did. I could hear her messing around in her bedroom and then she showed me £250 in cash. She told me this was for counselling.”

Rebecca went to take a bath and Mr Smith remained in the living room and smoked cannabis.

He heard her phone beep with a message and didn't hear any movement in the bathroom from Rebecca, which he thought was strange so he went to check on her.

Finding her unresponsive, he used his nail to open the bathroom door and found her naked and face-down in the bath.

Mr Smith said: “I pulled her out of the water towards the corridor and opened the front door to scream for help. I tried to give her CPR but her jaw seemed locked and she seemed to be a grey pale colour. Paramedics arrived and tried to revive her.”

Senior coroner for Buckinghamshire Crispin Butler was told Rebecca was taken to Wycombe General Hospital at 10.15am but was pronounced dead at 11.07am.

A toxicology report showed Rebecca had 6mg of Benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine, per litre of blood and that the amount of cocaine in her system was likely to be a significant factor in her death.

Dr Steven Corrigan, a pathologist, said: “It is most likely the deceased suffered a fatal cardiac arrhythmia and died of arrest. There is a lack of features of drowning and no inhalation of water.”

Summing up, Mr Butler said: "She was found unresponsive submerged in the bath at her home address. She died of the toxic affects of cocaine abuse.

“It strikes me it is entirely a drug-related overdose, so a drug-related death of cocaine toxicity will be recorded I’m afraid.”