A criminal inquiry has been launched by British police after it emerged that heroin was likely to have played a part in the death of Peaches Geldof.
Kent police said there was an “ongoing investigation into the supply of drugs” in connection with her death.
Peaches Geldof, 25, was found dead on April 7 by her husband, Thomas Cohen, in a spare bedroom in their home.
Toxicology tests showed Peaches Geldof had heroin in her system, an inquest heard on Thursday.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Fotheringham, told the hearing: “Recent use of heroin and the levels identified were likely to have played a role in her death.”
A police spokesman said: “Kent Police can confirm an ongoing investigation into the supply of drugs in connection with the death of Peaches Geldof.
“There have been no arrests at this stage.”
Peaches Geldof’s mother, TV presenter and writer Paula Yates, died from a heroin overdose at her London home, aged 41, in 2000.
Peaches Geldof had spoken openly about her struggle to deal with her mother’s death and of experimenting with drugs in her teenage years (photo Twitter)
At the inquest, Paul Fotheringham described how Peaches Geldof’s husband had tried to make contact with his wife before he found her body.
Thomas Cohen, a musician, had been away for the weekend with the elder of their two sons, Astala, leaving Peaches Geldof at home with their 11-month old son, Phaedra.
This was their normal weekend arrangement, Paul Fotheringham explained, allowing Peaches Geldof to concentrate on her work as a columnist.
“It is believed that Peaches spent Saturday afternoon, into the evening, and Sunday morning at her home address alone,” Paul Fotheringham told the inquest.
“Throughout this period she maintained telephone contact with family and friends, including contact with Thomas’s mother to arrange a family activity, but this was cancelled.
“All of the friends and family who had contact with Peaches during this period described how she seemed her normal self and was making plans for the future, including a family outing for her sons for the following weekend,” he continued.
“There was no cause for concern.”
However, on Monday morning, 7 April, Peaches Geldof’s husband tried to contact her without success. He then travelled to the family home in Wrotham, Kent with his mother, Sue, and son Astala arriving at around 13:30 BST.
“Thomas entered the property and located Peaches in the spare bedroom,” Paul Fotheringham said.
Peaches Geldof was slumped across the bed “with one leg hanging down to the floor and the other leg tucked underneath her,” he added. It was apparent she was dead.
Police and paramedics were called and Peaches Geldof was pronounced dead at the scene.
An initial post-mortem did not establish a cause of death and further toxicology tests were ordered. Those tests confirmed the recent use of heroin, it was disclosed on Thursday.
None of the Geldof family attended the hearing, which opened and adjourned within 10 minutes. Coroner Roger Hatch adjourned the inquest for a full hearing to take place on July 23, 2014.
Peaches Geldof had spoken openly about her struggle to deal with her mother’s death – and of experimenting with drugs in her teenage years – but had cited motherhood as a central part of her “healing” process.
Following Astala’s birth in 2012, “everything started to heal”, Peaches Geldof told Elle magazine.
“Even if it’s an archaic idea, I want Astala to have a mummy and daddy together forever,” Peaches Geldof said at the time.
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Peaches Geldof autopsy has proved inconclusive, and toxicology tests will be conducted in an attempt to determine cause of death, police say.
Peaches Geldof, 25, daughter of musician and campaigner Bob Geldof, was found dead at her home in Kent on Monday.
Police said at the time that her death was being treated as “non-suspicious but unexplained and sudden”.
The toxicology tests could take “several weeks” to come through, police said on Wednesday.
“Officers continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death in order to compile a report for the coroner,” they added in a statement.
Kent County Council has said it will make “a decision on whether there needs to be an inquest” based on the final results of the autopsy.
Peaches Geldof autopsy has proved inconclusive, and toxicology tests will be conducted in an attempt to determine cause of death
Officers had been called to the home Peaches Geldof shared with her husband, singer Thomas Cohen, and their two young children following “a report of concern for the welfare of a woman”. Peaches Geldof was pronounced dead at the scene.
The news of her death was met by shock and grief from friends and family.
Peaches Geldof was 11 when her own mother died.
TV presenter Paula Yates died of a drug overdose in September 2000. In September 2012 Peaches Geldof said she had not been able to come to terms with her mother’s death for several years.
Her final tweet on Sunday was a picture of her as a child in her mother’s arms, with the message: “Me and my mum.”
Peaches Geldof’s last column for Mother and Baby magazine was published posthumously on Tuesday.
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Peaches Geldof post-mortem examination will take place on Wednesday, Kent County Council have confirmed.
Peaches Geldof , 25, was found dead at her Kent home, on Monday.
In a statement, the council said: “A decision on whether there needs to be an inquest depends upon the final results of the post mortem.”
The council added that it “could take some weeks” for those results.
Peaches Geldof was the second daughter of musician and campaigner Bob Geldof and Paula Yates.
Kent Police said earlier that her death was being treated as “non-suspicious but unexplained and sudden”.
Peaches Geldof was found dead at her Kent home at the age of 25 (photo Getty Images)
Fifi Trixibelle Geldof paid tribute to her sister Peaches earlier on Tuesday and posted on Instagram: “My beautiful baby sister…. Gone but never forgotten. I love you Peaches x.”
Irish President Michael D. Higgins also paid tribute to the writer, TV presenter and model.
Susan Sarandon, Boy George, politician Martin McGuinness and TV presenter Davina McCall have also offered condolences.
Peaches Geldof’s father Bob said his family are “beyond pain” following the news.
President Michael D. Higgins, who was due to meet Bob Geldof this week during a state visit to Britain, said his thoughts were with the family.
Peaches Geldof had two young sons with her second husband, musician Tom Cohen. She was 11 when her own mother died.
In a family statement issued on Monday night, Bob Geldof said: “She was the wildest, funniest, cleverest, wittiest and the most bonkers of all of us.
“Writing <<was>> destroys me afresh. What a beautiful child. How is this possible that we will not see her again? How is that bearable?
“We loved her and will cherish her forever. How sad that sentence is. Tom and her sons Astala and Phaedra will always belong in our family, fractured so often, but never broken.”
The statement was signed Bob, Jeanne, Fifi, Pixie and Tiger Geldof.
Tom Cohen said: “My beloved wife Peaches was adored by myself and her two sons Astala and Phaedra and I shall bring them up with their mother in their hearts every day. We shall love her forever.”
Bob Geldof was knighted in 1986 for his work in organizing Live Aid and other concerts that raised millions for the starving people of Africa. He first gained prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band the Boomtown Rats in the 1970s.
Paula Yates, who was famous for presenting Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast and music show The Tube, died of a heroin overdose in September 2000.
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