By Phil Coleman

Last updated at 15:03, Monday, 05 January 2009

THE sudden death of a young Penrith woman, whose partner was mistakenly suspected of murdering her, may have been caused by a fatal reaction to medication she was on.

The family of Louise Armstrong, 43, have been devastated by her death.

Their ordeal was made worse by the arrest of Miss Armstrong’s partner of two years Gary Beatham, 45, who was held in a police cell for several hours until a Home Office pathologist confirmed the death was natural.

Miss Armstrong died on New Year’s Eve after she had struggled against a flu-like illness for several days.

Her grieving parents Ted and Angie have revealed that medics are now investigating whether her death was linked in some way to a rare allergic reaction to the antibiotics she had been given.

The condition – known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome – can cause a severe rash and skin blisters.

The couple said police arrested Mr Beatham after being called to the home he shared with Miss Armstrong at Beatham Court, Penrith.

He was made to wear a paper body suit while detectives waited for the results of a post mortem carried out by Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour, who eventually confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances. Only then did police release him.

Mrs Armstrong, 68, said: “They mentioned that it might be this Stevens-Johnson syndrome and how Louise had a lot of blisters.”

She said that Mr Beatham could not understand why police had treated him as they had. On the day Miss Armstrong died, he had woken to find her gravely ill in bed beside him. He immediately called an ambulance and tried to revive her but it was too late.

Mrs Armstrong said: “Gary thought the world of Louise and she thought the world of him. We couldn’t believe he would have done anything.”

Their daughter was a bubbly, caring, and lively young woman who will be sadly missed by all who knew her, said Mrs Armstrong.

Mr Armstrong said: “They’ve suggested her death was to do with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, which is apparently very rare.

“Louise was a lovely, lively person, with a strong personality and great love of music. It hasn’t yet hit us fully.”

The couple were already coping with the sudden serious illness of their son Chris, who has epilepsy and was in hospital at Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary when Miss Armstrong died.

He has been so ill that on Friday they still had not broken the tragic news to him of his sister’s death.

Cumbria police have confirmed that Miss Armstrong’s death is not now regarded as in any way suspicious.

PColeman@cngroup.co.uk

First published at 13:25, Monday, 05 January 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk