ground to a halt, an inquest heard on Friday.

The killing three years ago is not being actively investigated, it was revealed.

Det. Insp. Jonathan Smith, from CID, said: "No officers are presently assigned to investigate this case.'' Mrs. Meridith, 31, was found dead at her home in Greenview Lane, Smiths Parish, on November 13 1989.

In 1990 an inquest jury ruled unanimously she had been murdered by her husband, Mr. Mike Meridith.

But Mr. Meridith was later acquitted after a Supreme Court trial in November 1990, and the inquest ruling quashed.

Friday's brief inquest, before Senior Coroner the Wor. Will Francis, was a legal formality to tie up proceedings.

Det. Sgt. Donald Howard Cutts said he had found Mrs. Meridith in her bedroom, and taken a series of photographs of the body.

Det. Insp. Smith, assigned to investigate the death, recalled Mr. Meridith had been charged and later acquitted.

He said the Police investigation was now "non-active.'' Pathologist Dr. John Winwick said he had visited Mrs. Meridith's home at 5.15 a.m. -- between one and four hours after her death.

Dr. Winwick said Mrs. Meridith appeared to have been hit with a round heavy object.

He added no object was produced at the time, although he was later shown a possible weapon.

Dr. Winwick said the immediate cause of death had been lacerations to the brain, and a fracture of the skull.

In his ruling Mr. Francis largely repeated Dr. Winwick's testimony.

He declared Mrs. Meridith had died from "a series of blows inflicted to her head by a round heavy instrument.''