A 47-year-old mother of two was found deceased in a disabled toilet at a hotel in Blackpool, with an inquest revealing that she may have entered the cubicle to seek warmth.
Sabrina Lyttle’s body was discovered by staff at the Gurkha Hotel Pub and Restaurant on November 30, almost 48 hours after she was last seen entering the toilet.
A crack pipe, a magazine, a carrier bag, and some Bakewell cherry tarts were found near her body.
According to Detective Inspector Liam Davy, who investigated the death, Lyttle’s hypothesis was that she might have entered the toilet to keep warm, and her death was possibly caused by drugs or a medical episode.
There was no evidence of outside involvement.
Toxicology results showed that Lyttle had cocaine, Valium, methadone, and a small amount of alcohol in her system.
Consultant forensic pathologist Dr. Richard Shepherd warned that her reduced drug tolerance following a three-week prison sentence could have contributed to her death.
Lyttle’s family, including her daughter Jade Casey and mother Christine, attended the inquest and expressed uncertainty about why she had gone into the toilet that night.
Friend Erika Zazzu described Lyttle as “a person who was in pain and who dealt with that pain as best she could.”
The Gurkha restaurant staff attended the inquest but did not give evidence.
The restaurant had previously stated that they believed Lyttle must have picked the lock to get into the toilet, which is only cleaned after use and had not been used again until she was found.