Just thinking over the evidence from HB's mother in court this week. A lot has been made of HB's episodes of tiredness and the spell on the beach, etc. Her mother claimed that one falling asleep occurrence was while IS was in hospital. How would others here account for that if it was him administering the sleeping med?
I had a chat with my mum earlier about the menopause. She said that while she never had one hot flush the entire time, she did feel extremely tired. She said she'd often have to drag herself out of bed in the morning, and would be so tired again by mid afternoon, she'd have to have a nap; or she'd be watching Emmerdale and would just nod off on the sofa for a few hours. (We have ruled my dad out of any culpability, I will add, ha!) She also had memory problems where she'd thinking of someone she knew well, yet suddenly find she couldn't remember their name. That part she said, she did get a bit panicky over. She also, like HB, looked online about tiredness and falling asleep as she thought she may be low in iron or vitamin b or d.
So what I am saying is *could**these episodes HB experienced have been just part of the usual menopause? Perhaps, as she was a worrier and the type of high strung creative, the symptoms intensified in her mind. I am not saying she wasn't still administered the zopiclone, but whether the idea of these was not so much to kill as to make her question her state of mind and sanity.
Did she ever see her GP about it? Would like to hear testimony from her GP. *I gather HB was not on any medication? Not taking HRT or any blood pressure drug, as presumably these would have shown up. Do I recall that she was taking some kind of herbal supplement though? Do we know what or where from (ie a local Holland & Barrett or similar, or from a private herbalist)?
My other thought - in relation to it being surmised on here that she was being slipped the zopiclone in her food or drink - was what if the drug had been self-administered...unknowingly?
Presumably these herbal supplements (again, am pondering whether these might have been Chinese herbal preparations, which can have strong adverse effects) and the paracetamol were kept in a medicine cabinet in the bathroom (or ensuite if they had such) or maybe in a kitchen cupboard. I don't know what zopiclone looks like, or indeed what these supplements might look like, but if the latter were in a jar or tub, how easy would it be - for someone else in the house - to simply remove some and slip in the zopiclone among them.*If they looked a similar colour/size/shape, they might not be spotted. Anyone taking the supplement would not think twice to closely examine them before taking either: just reach for the jar, shake a couple out and swallow down with water. We know HB was having trouble with her eyes*(as most of us coming into 50s even with prior perfect eyesight, will start to experience trouble reading very small print - the kind on bottle or package labelling, for example), and so may also not have been as observant as a younger person with 20/20 vision.
goodnight all 
