Daughter left her mother dead in bed and continued on with her life for 6 months.

Her life revolved around her mother.

She was a loving daughter, one who had devoted her life to caring for her elderly mother. It was what she lived for, so when she found her mother dead in her bed she just shut the door and  “carried on like [she] was still alive.”

For six months.

Instead of informing her sisters and the authorities she bought air freshener to disguise the smell and finally she left, moving into a series of expensive hotels in Sydney’s Rocks area, all the while drinking copious amounts of alcohol to block out what she had done.

An inquest is now examining the circumstances surrounding the death of 83-year old Noreen Peacock.

Yesterday day one of the inquest heard that Noreen Peacock lived with her daughter Melissa Peacock, her sole carer in the Sydney suburb of Kellyville. Between 2009 and 2013 Noreen developed dementia and on Mother’s Day in 2012 her three daughters discussed placing her in a nursing home.

50-year old Melissa, a receptionist, who worked six days a week at a northern Sydney private hospital, refused to allow it. Melissa publicly told colleagues that she had a boyfriend, but the inquest heard it was untrue, in fact Melissa’s life revolved around living and caring for her mother and working.

The discussion with her sisters, that took place on Mother’s Day in 2012 was the last time Melissa’s two sisters saw their mother alive.

Counsel assisting the coroner Ian Bourke SC told the inquest “Both (Debra and Jaslyne) observed Noreen appeared to be well and Melissa, as always, appeared to be taking very good care of her.”

In July 2013 Melissa, who had started drinking large quantities of alcohol became sick with shingles, at the same time as her mother fell ill with a vomiting bug.

She told police that one morning, thought to be in March 2013, before she left for work, she had gone up to her mother’s bedroom and found her dead.

“She shut the door to the bedroom and told no one about the death and carried on like her mother was still alive,” Mr Bourke said.

“She told police she was in denial”

The court account, detailed by Fairfax Media says that Melissa had became depressed and “unable to cope” drinking substantial quantities of sparkling wine.

When police searched the home they found 150 empty wine bottles, and a further 200 in the garage.

Mr Bourke told the inquest that “Unfortunately despite the pressure Melissa was under … she did not ask for help.

“It appears on the evidence gathered that the level of care given to Noreen diminished significantly during the first half of 2013.”

In an earlier appearance in court it was reported that Melissa regularly changed the sheets of her mother’s bed and used air freshener to mask the smell of her decaying body.

In October 2013 two real estate agents, inspecting the rental property, opened the door to her bedroom. There they found the elderly woman, aged 83. She was in bed covered in blankets and “largely mummified”.

The Daily Telegraph reports that police said a post-mortem examination confirmed she could have been dead for up to six months and there were indications Noreen died of hypothermia.

Following the discovery of her mother’s remains Melissa went missing, she was finally found a week later in a Sydney hotel.

It was revealed in court that she had been staying in expensive hotels, such as Sydney’s Four Seasons, the Hilton, the Marriott and the Shangri-La.

She was charged with operating a bank account without authority and for failing to report her mother’s death.

No conviction was recorded and she was dealt with under the Mental Health Act.

The inquest continues.