Woking woman found 'mummified' in flat after three years as 'so many red flags missed'

Mummified Woking woman found dead in flat
-Credit: (Image: UGC)


A vulnerable woman was lying dead in her flat for more than three years before anyone entered the flat, an inquest has heard.

Laura Winham lay in her flat dead for more than three years before being found by her brother in a “mummified” state in Woking, Surrey, in May 2021.

Her brother was visiting her flat to tell her that their father had passed away. After going back with his mother for “one last look through the letterbox” he noticed what resembled a foot underneath a blanket leading to the discovery of her body. The family said they will ‘never forget shock’ of finding her.

Ms Winham, who was 41 when discovered, was found after her loved ones asked police to break into her home. Ms Winham’s sister Nicky previously said her family had been unable to maintain contact with her after years of schizophrenia caused her to believe they would harm her.

They previously said she was “abandoned and left to die” by social and mental health services and that she died in November 2017 – three-and-a-half years before her body was found. They are demanding answers through legal team Hudgell Solicitors saying “so many red flags were missed”, they said during the pre-inquest review.

Woking woman found dead in flat
Flats where the body of Laura Winham was found -Credit:UGC

An inquest into her death which opened at Surrey Coroner’s Court on Tuesday heard that Woking Borough Council (WBC) knocked on her door, once they were prompted by the family, but this went unanswered. Also in March 2021, WBC carried out a visit to her home to ask if she had been affected by large groups of people gathering in communal areas outside her flat. A knock at her door went unanswered and there were “no further reports on this issue”.

A statement from a former employee at New Vision Homes, which was the landlord contractor for Woking Borough Council (WBC) from 2015 to April 2022, said: “Ms Winham’s sister reached out on 31 March 2021 to ask if New Vision Homes had been in contact with her. Her family said a lot of post had gathered and they were concerned about her welfare.

“Woking Borough Council completed a door knock which received no answer. It was at the end of May that New Vision Homes were told she had been found dead.”

The statement added that it was “clear she was vulnerable” and that “she should have been flagged as vulnerable as this would have alerted New Vision Homes and WBC to her vulnerability”.

The inquest also heard that numerous attempts had been made by authorities to contact Ms Winham prior to the discovery of her body.

In November 2018, gas company TSG contacted her regarding an annual gas check on December 6 2018 but no response was received. The company made several attempts to contact her by phone and post before her gas was capped in January 2019.

A statement read to the court said this policy has since been changed since the borough council brought housing functions back in-house in April 2022.

It said: “Since bringing housing function back in-house strict measures have been put in place. Home visits, calls and contacting next of kin to assist the situation. New process ensures injunctions can be sought to gain access to homes.”

The court was told that she had been served an eviction notice in April 2014 after falling into rent arrears of £1,579. A housing support officer at WBC intervened and raised concerns about her vulnerability. Ms Winham was encouraged to make a claim for housing benefits, to seek employment, to engage in the community and to see her GP. Her rent arrears were subsequently paid by a third party and the eviction did not happen.

The inquest continues.

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