Newlywed graduate, 24, who set up business selling legal 'party drug' found drowned in bath by distraught husband

Sarah O'Dowd, 24, is believed to have fallen asleep after taking a dangerous combination of the 'date-rape' drug GBL and ketamine, a sedative popular with clubbers.

Liam O'Dowd, her husband of five months, woke to hear the taps running and found his wife's body in the bath when he went to investigate, an inquest heard.

Sarah O'Dowd and husband Liam: They ran a mail-order drugs business

He pulled her out of the water and tried to resuscitate her but she was already dead.

Last week the Government revealed plans to ban GBL, a common solvent which has been widely used in the plastics industry and is legally available on the internet.

The inquest was told the couple ran a mail-order business manufacturing and selling GBL, which stands for gammabutyrolactone.

The drug, which has been implicated in some 'date rape' cases, has a sedative effect and can cause uninhibited behaviour.

The tragedy shares similarities with the death of the children's TV presenter Natasha Collins.

Her fiance and fellow presenter Mark Speight found her dead in the bath of their London flat in January after a cocaine session.

Speight, 42, was distraught. He took his own life three months later.

Mr O'Dowd was initially questioned by police on suspicion of murder after the death of his wife at their home in Holt Park, Leeds last October.

But he was cleared of any blame following a detailed investigation by West Yorkshire Police.

Assistant deputy coroner Richard Manning said the two drugs Mrs O'Dowd had taken were an especially dangerous combination.

'Mr and Mrs O'Dowd had an interest in a business involved in the manufacture of this drug GBL, which was the source of the drug found in this lady's body,' he said.

'They both acknowledge they used the GBL drug themselves in the past.'

Mrs O'Dowd may have taken GBL the previous evening to help her get some sleep as she was in pain from a bladder condition, the hearing in Leeds was told.

Her husband told police his wife did most of the work for their mail-order business.

The inquest heard Mrs O'Dowd, a university graduate, often drank large amounts of alcohol and the couple had previously used drugs including cocaine, ketamine, Ecstasy and GHB  -  an illegal variant of GBL.

Friend David Doherty told the inquest how he had received a frantic call from Mr O'Dowd on the day of the tragedy.

'He was crying and in shock,' said Mr Doherty, who had arrived at the house a few minutes later.

He described Mrs O'Dowd as 'feisty and friendly' but a big drinker.

'In my opinion she took drugs in excess. She took drugs at all times of the day,' he said.

Mr Manning recorded an open verdict.

He said the cause of death was drowning coupled with intoxication.

He added: 'I cannot say for certain she died from the drugs or intended to cause her own death. She was newly married and had everything to live for.'