A WOMAN lived a reclusive life for 40 years following the death of her husband, an inquest was told.

Inspector Richard Medhurst told the hearing that Audrey Fuzzey, 77, rarely let anyone into her home at Les Vardes, St Peter Port, and she had little contact with her family.

On the morning of 15 February a support visited the house and got no reply after banging on the doors and windows. After returning with a social worker at 2.30pm when the same thing happened, the police were called.

Officers broke in and found Mrs Fuzzey in a chair in a state of semi-consciousness. She was transferred by ambulance to the Princess Elizabeth Hospital where she died at 4.30am on 17 February.

The results of a post mortem examination were presented to the court.  Assistant-Magistrate Philip Robey ruled that Mrs Fuzzey had died as a result of being underweight and pneumonia.

He delivered a verdict of death by natural causes and extended the court’s sympathies to her family.