A company director who drowned in a pond at her £1.3 million mansion died after a rare condition left her vulnerable to electronic emissions and perfume, an inquest heard today.
Annabel Lucas, 61, suffered from multiple chemical sensitivity which left her in severe pain if she spent too long on the phone or accidentally smelt her friend s laundry detergent.
Family members told how Ms Lucas condition meant they had to park away from her house and leave mobiles in the car - as electronic signals and exhaust fumes could cause her to be sick.
Ms Lucas believed she contracted the illness after exposure to organophosphate sheep dip a strong chemical used to tackle diseases in animals, her GP told the inquest held at Winchester Coroners Court, Hampshire.
Mystery surrounds death of woman who drowned in the pond of her £1.3million mansion MYSTERY surrounds the death of a Basingstoke woman who died after drowning in the garden pond of her historic mansion. Annabel Barbara Lucas, 61, died at her picturesque home at Whitewood Cottage in Herriard, near Basingstoke, in March 2019. At an inquest today (Tuesday, April 6), Winchester Coroner s Court heard that Annabel was discovered at the 500-year-old property with paving stones and bricks attached to her head and neck. The toxicology report found Ms Lucas, who had been tee-total for thirty years, was four-and-a-half times over the drink-drive limit and had consumed a potentially fatal quantity of codeine.
A tee-total company director who drowned in a pond at her £1.3million country house was four-and-a-half times over the drink-drive limit and had rocks and bricks tied in knots in her clothes, an inquest heard today.
Annabel Lucas, 61, was found dead by her brother on the grounds of her Grade II-listed rural home on the outskirts of Basingstoke, Hampshire - three days after her last known contact with anyone.
She was discovered at the 500-year-old property with objects including rocks, stones and bricks inside a series of well-tied knots in her clothing around her head, it was heard.
However, mystery remains over how the relatively slight woman became so intoxicated and how she came to drown on March 3, 2019.
Head of UH Arts, Annabel Lucas, said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Elly and are committed to delivering the exhibition she would have wanted. We look forward to celebrating her remarkable artistic practice through this exhibition, developed in collaboration with her friends and family.”
The show considers the relationships between art, play and playfulness, and invites the viewer to pay attention to these integral, yet often overlooked, components of our culture.
Consisting of soft sculpture installations, drawings and video works, the exhibition showcases playfully constructed installations that consider the importance of play in our lives and in the wider social context.