A FORMER magistrate and parish councillor died after falling down the stairs at her newly-converted home, an inquest heard.

Jill Major, 71, suffered a severe brain injury in the fall at her north Dorset home and died the following day, Dorset Coroner Rachael Griffin was told.

The Bournemouth inquest was told that Mrs Major, formerly known as Jill Ball, and her husband, John, had spent three years converting a barn into a home in Blandford Road, Iwerne Minster.

In a statement, Mr Major said they were sleeping in a different bedroom to usual because the curtains had been taken down.

He said his wife got up at around 6am on September 25 last year and he believed she was going to the bathroom.

He heard a crash and found her at the bottom of the stairs.

Mr Major said his wife was known to get up when she was not fully awake and had also been known to walk in her sleep and have no recollection of it the following day.

Mrs Major formerly worked as a nurse and was a retired office administrator.

She was a parish councillor for 13 years and had also served as a magistrate.

Mrs Griffin heard that Mrs Major was taken to the Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester following the accident where she was treated in the intensive care unit.

A CT scan revealed severe brain injuries and Mrs Major had also suffered multiple rib fractures and spinal injuries.

Police inquiries were carried out and revealed there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death.

The cause of Mrs Major's death was given as brain and spinal injuries and Mrs Griffin concluded she died as the result of an accident.