A MARRIED mother-of-three could have survived a 15ft fall at a Worcester pub if the man she was with had told somebody about what had happened, an inquest heard.

Louise Burkes was left lying unconscious with a fractured skull after she fell through a fence panel at the back of Drummonds, New Street, in the early hours of the morning on Saturday, December 1, last year.

Mystery still surrounds what caused her to fall because Mark Heane, who she had been kissing, touching and flirting with all night, said he couldn’t remember what had happened due to being too drunk.

The coroner’s court at Stourport-on-Severn heard there was a period of about 25 minutes in which Mrs Burkes’ friends searched for her while Mr Heane did nothing other than to say he thought she had “done a runner”.

County coroner Geraint Williams, who recorded an open verdict, said: “That was 25 minutes in which she could have received medical attention that may, and probably would, have saved her life.”

Friends and witnesses said 40-year-old Mrs Burkes, of Swan Drive, Droitwich, and Mr Heane were “all over each other” during the course of the night.

Linda Williamson, who was out with Mrs Burkes for a birthday celebration, said she had watched the pair dancing and touching each other.

She said Mrs Burkes and Mr Heane disappeared from the dance floor for a short time and when she later saw Mr Heane he said to her: “Did you know your mate is such an athlete, she’s just jumped the wall and done a runner.”

Another witness, Tara O’Neill, said she saw the pair on the patio at the back of the pub. She said they were kissing before they fell through a fire escape.

The door was closed behind them and the couple were not to be seen for two and a half minutes. It was in this period of time that Mrs Burkes somehow came to fall to her death. CCTV footage, shown at the inquest, showed Mr Heane eventually return through the door before lingering in the vicinity for another two and a half minutes.

During Mr Heane’s evidence the coroner brought the court room to a standstill for two and a half minutes in an attempt to get Mr Heane to explain what happened in the moments leading up to Mrs Burkes’ death, but he was unable to do so.

The inquest heard that Mr Heane, upon returning to Drummonds, ran into the manager and told her that he had fallen through the fire escape. But he failed to mention Mrs Burkes had done the same.

Later in the evening Mrs Burkes’ friends, concerned for her whereabouts, began to look for her.

Mrs Williamson said she bumped into Mr Heane near the entrance of Drummonds and noticed he had blood on his arm, which the inquest heard may have been caused by him coming into contact with a fence.

Mrs Burkes was eventually discovered by Steven Taylor, head doorman and assistant manager at Drummonds. Attempts to resucitate her failed and she was pronounced dead at Worcestershire Royal Hospital just after 1am.

Mrs Burkes’ widower, Karl, was not present at the inquest.