Inquest into the death of Deborah Spencer

56y · Female·Blunt head injury, with hyoid bone fracture being a significant condition contributing to the death

Deborah Spencer, a 56-year-old woman with a history of heavy alcohol use and previous falls, died from blunt head injury with hyoid bone fracture. She was found unconscious near Lemongrove Bridge in Penrith on 22 May 2016 after last being seen alive the previous evening in the same location. The coroner could not determine whether her fatal injuries resulted from an accidental alcohol-related fall or interpersonal violence. Key clinical lessons include the challenges in interpreting hyoid fractures and intracranial injuries in the context of chronic alcohol use and repeated trauma, and the importance of comprehensive documentation and radiological follow-up in patients with recurrent falls and head injuries. The case highlights how alcohol-related cognitive and motor impairment increases fall risk significantly, and the difficulty in retrospectively determining BAC and injury mechanisms.