A 32-year-old woman died three months after sustaining severe burns when a paint canister exploded during a garden fire, an inquest hearing revealed.
Katie Louise Marshall, of Vaughan Williams Drive in Newport, passed away at Bristol Royal Infirmary on 24 September following complications from her injuries. The incident occurred in June when she placed a black bin bag containing waste and a paint canister onto a fire she had lit in her garden.
What happened during the fire?
The paint canister ignited and exploded, prompting a neighbour to alert emergency services. Marshall initially received treatment at the Grange Hospital in Cwmbran before being transferred to Morriston Hospital in Swansea, where medical staff assessed her condition as involving burns covering between 45 and 55 percent of her body surface area.
She was subsequently moved to Bristol Royal Infirmary, where she remained under care until her death. Medical records indicated that bacterial pneumonia, which developed as a consequence of smoke inhalation combined with the extensive burn injuries, was the direct cause of her death.
What will the inquest investigate?
Senior coroner for Gwent Caroline Saunders determined that Marshall's death was "unnatural" and has adjourned the initial hearing to allow for a comprehensive investigation. Saunders indicated that the inquiry would examine "the circumstance of the fire and how she obtained her injuries and a narrative of the treatment thereafter".
A full inquest hearing has been scheduled for 9 June 2027, where further evidence will be presented and examined.
Key Facts
- Marshall suffered burns affecting 45-55% of her body when the paint canister exploded in June
- She died from bacterial pneumonia caused by inhalation injury and severe burns
- The senior coroner classified her death as unnatural, triggering a formal investigation
- A full inquest will take place on 9 June 2027
