‘Devoted’ Wirral mum died after night out in Liverpool

Grace Emily Smith, of Clwyd Street, Wallasey, died aged 32 on May 8, 2024, three days after she became unwell while visiting a number of bars with friends.

An inquest hearing, held on Tuesday, October 15 in Gerard Majella Courthouse in Liverpool, heard how on May 5, Ms Smith, an aesthetics and nurse practitioner, met with three women at a salon on Hoylake Road in Moreton at around 4pm before they headed to bar and restaurant Zenn in Liverpool for a 'bottomless brunch'.

The group had consumed food and drinks when Ms Smith began to complain that she felt unwell and vomited.

They then left Zenn to go to Albert Schloss on Bold Street but went into another bar for one drink beforehand.

Ms Smith was sick again in Albert Schloss but had stopped drinking alcohol and began drinking lemonade and water.

One of the women’s partners picked up the group and drove them back to Wirral. Ms Smith asked one of her friends to stay with her at her house due to her still feeling unwell.

The friend agreed and helped her into bed. The friend said she could hear Ms Smith “groaning” and complaining of a headache and feeling sick.

Ms Smith then became unresponsive and at around 2.47am her friend called an ambulance and she was taken to Arrowe Park hospital.

She suffered a cardiac arrest and was resuscitated but suffered a hypoxic brain injury and was pronounced dead on May 8.

Detective Inspector Peter Rexwinkel, from Merseyside Police, who appeared in court said that on May 7, Ms Smith’s aunt had reported to the police that she was concerned that her niece had been spiked during the night out and that she was not known to take drugs.

The three women Ms Smith was out with all gave statements and told officers it had been an “uneventful night” and denied any recreational drug use.

He added that there was no report of any "uneasiness" and that the women remained with each other all night. There was also no evidence or suspicion of being spiked.

Dr Megan Jenkins, a forensic pathologist, who appeared in court via video link, to share her post-mortem findings, said that a toxicology report found cocaine in a urine sample and MDMA in a blood and urine sample.

She said that the cardiac arrest was likely caused by the complications of drug and alcohol use.

Although no alcohol was found in the toxicology report, cocaethylene was.

Cocaethylene is the by-product of consumption of alcohol and cocaine as metabolized by the liver.

When asked what she was like as a person, one of Ms Smith's friends, who was present in court, said: “I’ve known Grace since we were 12-years-old and we were like sisters.

“We are like a very close-knit family. To say this is out of character for Grace is an understatement. We were soul mates. We told each other everything. This is absolutely utterly shocking.

“She was a devoted mum - she did everything she could do to bring her children up in the best way. She provided a safe loving environment for her children. She loved them and she made sure they knew that.

“Grace was extremely selfless - she was emotionally driven and she would be horrified by this. Two children are left without a mum. She gave everything to her children. She was a vibrant person. She lit up a room.

"Recreational drug use was not a thing for her. She rarely drank alcohol."

Grace’s mother Marjorie Smith, said: “She was such a joy as a baby, a gorgeous daughter and a fabulous friend and mother.”

Her father, Malcolm Smith, added: “When she was at primary school she was awarded for inclusivity because she befriended people who were isolated.

“She went into nursing after her grandfather fell ill and she saw the care he got in hospital which helped her made the decision to become a nurse. She always put other people first everything. She rarely went out and was not a party animal.”

Concluding the inquest, Area Coroner for Liverpool and the Wirral, Anita Bhardwaj, said: “Grace Emily Smith died on May 8, 2024. She died from hypoxic ischemia caused by cardiac arrest and complications in relation to drug and alcohol use MDMA and cocaine.

“She was a 32-year-old lady with limited medical history who had been out socialising with friends in Liverpool when she became unwell and was sick.

“She asked one of her friends to stay with her who helped her into bed. Her friend reported she heard her groaning and saying she had a headache and felt sick.

"Grace had become unresponsive and suffered a cardiac arrest which caused severe hypoxemia brain injury. The toxicological report revealed the presence of cocaine and MDMA and cocaethylene, which is alcohol and cocaine, although no alcohol was found at the time.

"It is more likely Grace died from complications of drugs however it is unclear on how and when she consumed drugs.

“Grace died as a result of a drug and alcohol related death.”

Following Ms Smith's death a gofundme page was set up by the godparents of her two children which to date has raised over £19,000.

The aim of the fundraiser is to install a memorial bench and raise money for a trust for her two children.