Peaches Geldof death: Speculation over heroin overdose ahead of inquest branded 'disappointing' by officials
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Speculation that Peaches Geldof died from an overdose of heroin has been described as “disappointing” ahead of an inquest into her death this afternoon.
The Times newspaper reported that the results of toxicology tests would reveal the drugs overdose as the cause of death on Thursday at an inquest hearing in Gravesend, Kent.
UPDATE: Result Of Peaches Geldof's Inquest Revealed
Peaches Geldof, Paula Yates & The Legacy Of Tragedy
Ms Geldof’s family has refused to comment on the reports. A spokesman for the Geldof family said: "I cannot confirm anything as an inquest is taking place. The family have no statement."
A spokesperson for Kent County Council, who are acting on behalf of the Coroner’s office, said any possible speculation over the inquest did not emerge from the Council or the Coroner’s office. “We are disappointed speculation surrounding the cause of death was leaked out in advance of the inquest,” the spokesperson added.
Ahead of the inquest, which is due to take place at 2pm this afternoon, Kent Police said the death was still being treated as non-suspicious.
The hearing will be opened and adjourned by North West Kent Coroner Roger Hatch at Gravesend Old Town Hall and is expected to last about ten minutes.
Mr Hatch will then adjourn the inquest and announce a date for the full hearing, which will probably be in July.
Shortly before she was found dead, Ms Geldof, 25, had posted a photograph on Twitter of her as a child with her mother, who died at her London home of a heroin overdose aged 41 in 2000.
Her husband, Thomas Cohen, was away with their son Astala, 23 months, at the time and he asked a friend to go to the house after he was unable to get through to her. She was looking after their son Phaedra, 11 months old, at the time.
A post-mortem examination held two days after she died proved inconclusive.
Ms Geldof, a journalist, presenter and model, reportedly had an overdose in 2008 and had a history of drug taking.
In her final interview, she said that becoming a mother had been a “really healing process”.
“Before, I was not at peace with myself about it because I was just traumatised,” she said. “That’s why I was living a chaotic lifestyle. But now I have the kids I can heal the situation. It’s so good in every single way, really.”
Her father, Bob Geldof, said after she died that she had been “the wildest, funniest, cleverest, wittiest and the most bonkers of all of us”.