A former crack and heroin addict who had tried to turn her life around died of an accidental overdose, leaving a baby son, a court heard Monday.

Elaine Cagehin, 41, from Axminster Road, Holloway, leaves her young son without a mother after she was killed by a cocktail of methadone, valium and alcohol which her diseased liver was unable to process.

She was found dead by her partner Martin Dean on May 13 at his house in nearby Marlborough Road. He told St Pancras Coroner’s Court he had begged paramedics to save her life as blood was coming out of her lungs.

Ms Cagehin had battled drug and alcohol addiction for many years, but her condition before her death was described as stable by her nurse.

Her mother Christine Deasy, now the boy’s legal guardian, said she had no idea of the extent of her daughter’s battle with substance abuse.

She said: “I didn’t realise she had anything to do with drugs – we hadn’t heard from Elaine for quite a few years.

“Social services wrote a letter to us asking us to get in touch and then we found out she had a son.

“He was six months old and had spent five months in hospital due to Elaine’s drug addiction – that’s when I knew.”

Both Ms Cagehin’s partner and the nurse said she had been on top of her drug problem and sticking to her prescribed methadone, although diazepam was found in her system.

Mr Dean said: “I wasn’t aware of her using any other drugs. It must have been behind our back.

“We were watching a film when I crashed out on the couch. At about 4am I woke up and she was lying on her side. She didn’t look comfortable so I went to move her. When I turned her over I saw her lips were a funny colour.

“I called the ambulance and when they came I begged them not to stop. They carried on, but blood was coming out of her lungs, so they called it.”

The coroner, Dr Shirley Radcliffe, recorded a verdict of accidental death.