Rachel police saw 'no foul play'

Rachel's landlord said he was "stoned" the night she died

A Devon and Cornwall police officer who investigated the death of heroin addict Rachel Whitear has denied the inquiry was not thorough.

Rachel's parents have criticised the investigation which concluded her death was a straight forward drug overdose.

In a statement Det Con Mark Beresford told the Exeter inquest: "There was no reason to suspect foul play."

Pictures of Miss Whitear, who died in her Exmouth bedsit in May 2000, were published to warn people about drugs.

Det Con Beresford confirmed to the jury that house-to-house inquiries around her Devon flat came up with no evidence.

Landlord 'stoned'

He said: "No-one heard any shouts or screams and Rachel's room was tidy with no evidence of a struggle."

Det Con Beresford has since left the force but told the inquest he felt officers had carried out a thorough investigation.

The inquest was also told in a further statement that Miss Whitear's landlord, Darren Tynan, heard someone leave the flat on the night of her death.

But he had not told the police because he had been "stoned".

His friend Sheila Collins said in a statement Mr Tynan had told her he had heard someone leaving the house saying: "I heard the door slam."

Wiped down

Mr Tynan had called on Ms Collins and her partner Neil Collins to tell them he had found Miss Whitear's body.

The inquest has heard claims from a witness known only as "J" that Miss Whitear's ex-boyfriend Luke Fitzgerald had injected her, left, then returned to find her dead.

He and his brother Simon, according to the female witness, got rid of the syringe, replaced it with another, wiped down surfaces and altered the position of Miss Whitear's body.

But Luke Fitzgerald told the hearing on Tuesday he was not present when Miss Whitear died and had not known where she lived.

Simon Fitzgerald said in a statement he did not attend the scene of Miss Whitear's death or interfere with her body.