On the morning of 13 October 2023, 54-year-old Darlington mother-of-two Olive Martin was going about her normal routine, making toast before leaving for work. At some point, she suffered a seizure and collapsed in her kitchen — the beginning of a sequence of events now under intense scrutiny at a coroner’s inquest.
Police and paramedics were called to her home after she was found unresponsive. At the scene, they concluded she had died. Instead of transporting her to A&E for emergency treatment, the crew took her directly to the mortuary at Darlington Hospital — a decision that has become the centrepiece of the investigation.
At Crook Coroner’s Court, barrister Tom Barclay Semple, representing the Martin family, argued that Olive may have gone without potentially life-saving medical care for nearly two hours. “If Olive had been treated in the way she should have and taken to hospital, would the outcome have been different?” he asked, according to Metro.co.uk. He said there was a “credible argument” that she received no treatment during a critical window despite being at “real and immediate risk,” and that her life was effectively “in the hands of paramedics.”
When mortuary staff examined Olive upon arrival, they were stunned to find she showed signs of life. James Donnelly, representing the North East Ambulance Service, confirmed this in court. Durham Constabulary’s representative, John Gray, added that Olive displayed evidence of “brain function” and was responding to stimuli — verbally or by gripping — while in the mortuary.
Despite this, Olive died shortly afterwards from brain damage caused by lack of oxygen.
Coroner Jeremy Chipperfield, who is leading the inquest, said a key unknown is how long Olive had been deprived of oxygen before emergency responders reached her. To piece together the timeline, Barclay Semple pointed to clues from the scene: “We know Olive had put toast in the toaster on the morning she was due at work. If that was when she suffered the seizure, we can extrapolate from that,” he said, adding that her body temperature and time of day could help estimate events.
Durham Police investigated her death in 2023 and concluded no criminal charges would be filed.
The North East Ambulance Service has acknowledged the case triggered an internal review. Its Director of Paramedicine, Andrew Hodge, said: “As soon as we were made aware of this incident, we opened an investigation and contacted the patient’s family. We are deeply sorry for the distress this has caused. A full review is being undertaken, and we are unable to comment further. The colleagues involved are being supported.”
For Olive’s family, the inquest is not only about establishing facts but honouring the memory of a woman they described as warm, cheerful and deeply loved. In a tribute released through police, they said: “Our Mam will always be remembered for her kind heart, infectious personality and daily positivity. She was our warrior, and she will be deeply missed. We request privacy at this difficult time.”
Nearly two years after Olive collapsed in her kitchen, the inquest is working to determine exactly what happened: when her seizure began, how quickly paramedics assessed her as dead, how long she showed signs of life in the mortuary, and whether different decisions might have changed the outcome.
The inquest has been adjourned until 30 January next year, when these critical questions — and the actions taken in those crucial hours — will return to the court.
