THE family of a woman whose death sparked a triple tragedy have spoken of their dismay after a coroner recorded an open verdict into her death.

The inquest was told a man claimed to have killed Christine Moore the night before she was found dead at her home in Emma Street, Accrington, on June 1.

But a Home Office pathologist told the hearing that Christine was prone to haemorrhaging because of her heavy drinking and the acute bleeding which killed her could have had a number of causes.

Five weeks after Chrtistine's death, her mother, Edith, of Hyndbrook House, Accrington, died -- and the family believe it was a direct result of the trauma.

And six days after that, Miss Moore's boyfriend, Shaun Robinson, committed suicide while staying at a friend's house in Pendle Street, Blackburn.

The inquest into his death was told he left a note declaring his never-ending love and adding: "I want to see him rot in hell."

The majority of the evidence referred to an incident of Friday, May 31, which eventually resulted in David Osbaldeston, of Great Harwood, being arrested and charged with the murder of Christine Moore. All charges were eventually dropped.

Inquest witnesses told how they saw Miss Moore being attacked by a man in the street outside her house.

Amanda Hugman and Tracey Fox said they were standing in Steiner Street on the Friday night chatting to Linda Tregarthur, David Osbaldeston's mum.

They said Mr Osbaldeston, whom they knew as Oz, spoke to his mum and said: "I've just smashed Christine's head in with a Nori. I think I have killed her."

Today, Christine's brother Michael Daly said: "Christine is dead, her boyfriend is dead and our mother is dead. Surely that isn't justice."

Mr Daly, of Clayton-le-Moors, his sisters Kathleen Curry and Eileen Hornby, of Blackburn, and Christine's daughter Elaine Hargreaves were all at the inquest.

After coroner Michael Singleton had said that on the evidence before him he could only record an open verdict Mr Daly said: "We expected a verdict of unlawful killing.

"We still believe that Christine was murdered. I understand that the coroner must reach a verdict based on the facts before him.

"However, I think the police investigation could have been more thorough. If more evidence had been supplied to the Crown Prosecution Service the outcome might have been different."

The inquest heard that in the days before her death Miss Moore, 50, had fought with Mr Robinson and had gone to hospital for treatment to a wrist injury.

There was also evidence of Christine fighting with another woman over an allegation that she had stolen a bottle of vodka from her house.

PC Graham Butterworth, who answered a 999 call to the incident, said in his opinion Miss Moore was extremely drunk.

He saw no wounds other than a graze on her right wrist and a small cut on her nose.

Home Office pathologist Dr John Rutherford said said it was impossible to pinpoint exactly when haemorrhaging had started or what had caused it.

He said bleeding could have been started by a jolt and he could not rule out any of the incidents previously described to the inquest as being the cause.

He said there was no evidence of an assault with a brick.