Investigations 'unable to prove' how woman found dead in rubble of blaze-hit house died - coroner
A coroner has been unable to conclude how a Shropshire woman died after her body was found in the rubble of her remote house.
Sadly the body of loving mother Margaret Jane Hardwick, known as Jane, aged 80, was found after firefighters scrambled to a blaze at two houses in Crudgington Road, Moortown, near High Ercall, on March 11, 2023.
Assistant coroner Heath Westerman said a police investigation concluded that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
He formally recorded an "open" conclusion, saying that he was "not allowed to speculate whether it was a death by natural causes or as a result of the fire."
A post mortem carried out had been unable to ascertain how independent minded Mrs Hardwick, a widow who was living alone, had died. It has officially been recorded as "unascertained."
Mr Westerman, sitting in court on Friday, was unable to conclude whether Mrs Hardwick had died of natural causes before the fire took hold or was killed as a result of the blaze.
A fire investigation carried out by Simon Roberts for Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service concluded that the fire started accidentally in the kitchen, where Mrs Roberts liked to spend much of her time near her Aga.
But they were unable to locate it more precisely because of the damage. There were also no witnesses.
Mr Roberts also concluded that the blaze happened between midnight and 4am on the Saturday morning.
In a statement provided to the coroner's court Mrs Hardwick's son Gordon said his mum was "stubborn and very independent" who would look after everyone. She had been married to Edward for more than 50 years before he died in 2022.
The family said they had lost everything that their mum had kept in the house where she "lived a happy life pottering around.
"She loved going to Shrewsbury Market and to the Tesco's," said her son.
"She was a home bird who did not socialise and loved cleaning and gardening. The birds were always fed and she was an animal lover and spoiled her grandchildren."
He added that his mum always loved an open fire and was "always cold" and used a heater.
He described the phone call where police informed him of what happened to his mum as "the worst moment of my life."
"I bet she tried to sort the fire out herself," he said in a statement read out by Mr Westerman.
"We all loved mum dearly. She would help anybody and adored her family."
A report from the incident said crews wearing breathing apparatus had "worked in arduous conditions to fight the fire and search the property, due to reports of a woman living alone in the house".
Chief Fire Officer Simon Hardiman said: "Despite the best efforts of crews, a female was found deceased within the property.
"Our thoughts are with their family and friends at this difficult time."
A total of seven crews were dispatched to the blaze – from Craven Arms, Hodnet, Newport, Shrewsbury and Wellington.
West Mercia Police put in road closures around Crudgington Road near to the crossroads.
