Alexandra Ruth Woodliffe was 22 when she died in her flat in The Grove on North Lane, Roundhay,following a night out on June 2 last year.

A Leeds inquest found that she had died of ecstasy poisoning.

Assistant Deputy Coroner of West Yorkshire Mary Burke returned a verdict of death due to dependence on drugs at the inquest on November 2.

But her mother, Lynn Woodliffe, never accepted that her daughter was a drug addict and took the case to the High Court in London, in a bid to change the ruling.

Her barrister, Peter Miller said the facts given in evidence before the coroner "did not justify a verdict of death due to dependence on drugs".
He said it was an "unreasonable conclusion".

Mr Miller argued that Alexandra had died due to a one-off, accidental, overdose and that did not justify her being branded a junkie.
"When a drug addict dies as a result of the effects of illegal narcotics in such circumstances the appropriate verdict would be one of dependence on drugs.

"By contrast, if death occurs where the deceased is not dependant on drugs, that is to say
not a drug addict, as a result of an accidental fatal usage of illicit drugs, then the appropriate verdict would be misadventure," the barrister argued.

Mrs Woodliffe won her case without a fight when Mr Justice Cranstone announced that the Assistant Deputy Coroner agreed the verdict should be quashed.

This was agreed – and replaced with one of death by misadventure – on grounds that the evidence did not justify a finding that Miss Woodliffe was a drug addict.

The Coroner also agreed to pay Mrs Woodliffe's legal costs of the case.

A spokesperson from West Yorkshire Coroner's Office said: "Although there has had to be a formal court hearing, this was done by consent and the mother's application was never opposed by the coroner."