Bayliss inquest told de facto slipped drugs into doctor's coffee

The defacto wife of Brisbane abortion doctor Peter Bayliss has admitted she regularly placed drugs in his coffee without his knowledge.

The admission came as the Brisbane coroner reopened the inquest into the death of controversial doctor.

Police detective Sergeant Mark Ainsworth told the court further investigations had revealed the doctor's de facto wife Claudia Mackewan secretly slipped drugs like Prozac and Valium into his coffee on a daily basis.

Ms Mackewan told police she did that to stem his violent mood swings and to calm him down.

The court heard a number of staff at the doctor's Greenslopes clinic witnessed her put the pills in his drinks and told her she should not be doing it.

The doctor died in March 1999 from a heart attack, contributed to by an overdose of sleeping pills. The inquest is continuing.