Tributes pour in for Hessle barmaid

The family and friends of a popular barmaid who died after drinking antifreeze have paid tribute to her.

Julie Ann Berry, 33, of Northgate, Hessle, was found in the bathroom of her flat on March 5 by her former boyfriend Karl Holdorf.

She was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary, but despite the efforts made to save her, she died at 12.30am on March 6.

Her aunt and uncle, Beryl and John Mennell, of Pickering Road, west Hull, said she was popular and outgoing.

Mrs Mennell said: “She was like a breath of fresh air when she walked into the room.

“She was really friendly and bubbly and she had lots of friends.”

Mr Holdorf, 37, of Hedon, said: “She was a wonderful person and she made me so happy.

“I was so pleased to have met her. I miss her deeply.

“I will never meet anyone like her again.”

An inquest held at Hull Coroner's Court yesterday concluded Julie had died from metabolic acidosis after consuming antifreeze.

The court heard medical staff at Hull Royal Infirmary had initially treated her for meningitis, as a CT scan revealed brain damage consistent with the fatal illness.

However, the damage was later discovered to have been caused by her drinking antifreeze.

The court heard she had four times the lethal dose of ethylene glycol, the main ingredient of antifreeze, in her blood and that such a high level of toxicity would have been “virtually untreatable.”

Speaking at the inquest, consultant neuropathologist Dr Ian Scott thanked her family for allowing the facts of her case to be published, as it was previously unknown that ethylene glycol caused patients to display similar symptoms to meningitis.

He said the discovery may help doctors diagnose smaller doses of ethylene glycol poisoning earlier in future cases.

Julie, a former David Lister School pupil, worked at the Marquis of Granby pub in The Square, Hessle.

The court heard she had a history of mental health problems, including depression, and had been admitted a number of times to Millview Court, a mental health ward at Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham.

However, mental health professionals and friends told the inquest she was not displaying any obvious signs of depression at the time of her death.

She was concerned she may lose her flat, but had been talking about positive steps to find new accommodation and had been due to meet with a housing officer from East Riding Council on the day she died.

Mr Mennell said: “We would like to thank everybody who did try to help Julie.

“We still think of her every day and we miss her terribly.”

Coroner Geoffrey Saul recorded a narrative verdict, as he said he could not be sure Ms Berry intended to take her own life.