Woman sentenced for GBH after friend found dead
A woman in Devon has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison for inflicting grievous bodily harm on a friend who was later found dead.
Cheyanne Loder, 32, from Barnstaple, was charged initially with the murder of Hayley Adams, 38, but the charge was dropped as it was not possible to prove her actions led to Ms Adams' death.
The police said a post-mortem examination could not exclude the possibility death could have occurred due to the "combined effects of cocaine use and an underlying medical condition in the absence of an assault".
Exeter Crown Court heard police had been called by the ambulance service to a report of a woman in cardiac arrest, finding Ms Adams unresponsive with injuries to her face and head. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The court was also told that both Ms Adams and Loder, who had been friends for about nine years, had taken a mixture of crack cocaine, amphetamines and alcohol over a period of three days.
His Honour Judge James Adkin said Ms Adams had been subjected to a "prolonged and persistent assault" and that the attack had been fuelled by the use of drugs and alcohol.
Ms Adams' family said she was “the life and soul of the party and lit up any room she graced".
"She had a way of making everyone feel like the centre of the world... Her three beautiful children will never have their mummy to share in their successes or support them when they need her."
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