A MOTHER-of-two died after falling down a flight of stairs just days before her birthday, an inquest has heard.

Esther Stokes, whose family are from North Yorkshire, was living in Jakarta with her geophysicist husband David and their children Henry and Sophia, when she died in February.

An inquest at New Earswick Folk Hall last week heard the couple were preparing to go to bed on February 13, when she fell down a staircase at their home.

A statement from Mr Stokes said his wife, who would have turned 39 five days later, was climbing their marble and steel staircase when he heard a noise.

He said: "We were preparing to retire for the evening. I checked the doors and turned out the lights while Esther climbed the stairs.

"I was walking from the kitchen to the stairs and heard a tumbling series of sounds and found her at the bottom laying against the wall in a semi-foetal position. I heard faint breathing and struggled to find a pulse and saw she was bleeding from her head."

Mr Stokes said the staircase was about five metres high, and he knew the local emergency services could take some time to arrive, so tried to move her to their car but said he thought that may cause further injury so he phoned an ambulance and the call handler talked him through performing chest compressions until paramedics arrived.

Coroner Jonathan Leach told the inquest at New Earswick Folk Hall last week Mrs Stokes had suffered a 21cm fracture to her skull in the fall and died at the scene despite efforts by Mr Stokes and paramedics.

The coroner's conclusion on hearing the evidence provided was that Mrs Stokes' death was accidental. Her family told the inquest it was "just a sad situation", and did not wish to comment further.