A YOUNG diabetic woman died after being misdiagnosed by three GPs, an inquest heard.

And two of the doctors, Neil Martin and Hugh Jones, exercised their right to silence during the inquest into the death of Sarah Jane McNicholas, 20, who died after falling into a diabetic coma in July 1997.

The customer services clerk from Widnes had been diagnosed the previous year as suffering from diabetes.

But in July 1997, when she complained to her GP Dr Neil Martin that she felt unwell, he diagnosed her as having an underactive thyroid gland, Cheshire coroner Nicholas Rheinberg told a jury this week.

The following day, Miss McNicholas went on holiday to Prestatyn, where she began vomiting. Dr Hugh Jones a GP in the area, told her she had gastritis, Mr Rheinberg said.

She returned home to Widnes a day later, where her sickness continued and a locum GP also diagnosed gastritis.

Dr Martin confirmed the opinion of the other two doctors when he saw Miss McNicholas on July 21, Mr Rheinberg told the jury.

But later that day she was rushed to Halton General Hospital, where a specialist diagnosed her as suffering from the dangerous condition of diabetic ketoaciditis.

She was placed under intensive care but fell into a coma and died on July 31.

Mr Rheinberg halted a previous inquest into the case earlier this year because one of the jurors knew one of the doctors involved.

The new hearing at Warrington Town Hall began on Monday and is expected to be concluded tomorrow.

Mr Rheinberg also explained that Miss McNicholas had been diagnosed as suffering type two diabetes or Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY).

It usually affects older people and sufferers do not usually need to inject themselves with insulin but can control the illness through diet and exercise.

Pathologist Dr Mohammad Al-Jafari, who carried out the post- mortem examination on Miss McNicholas, told the jury she died from a swelling of the brain caused by diabetic ketoaciditis.

The jury also heard evidence from the dead woman's brother, Michael McNicholas, who fought back tears as he described his sister's agony in her final waking hours.

He said: 'The first time I had any real contact with Sarah Jane in hospital, she was in the intensive care unit. She looked to be in a terrible condition.

'To touch her she felt like ice and I mean like ice you could have chilled a drink on her.'

Proceeding