Man's fall led to his death, inquest hears (From Warrington Guardian)

Man's fall led to his death, inquest hears

A MAN probably developed head injuries that killed him after falling in the street drunk, an inquest heard on Thursday.

Brian Woodcock, known as Bruce, was taken to Warrington Hospital in the early hours of the morning after a friend found him foaming at the mouth.

A scan revealed a large haemorrhage to his head and he died hours later.

Warrington Coroners' Court heard that Mr Woodcock, aged 55, was an alcoholic who drank up to four bottles of whisky or vodka a day, and had fallen over many times while drunk.

His friend Lauren Stamp said: "In the past few months he couldn't walk very far without being ill. I think he was just weak and dizzy, and he went really skinny and frail."

On the afternoon of Sunday, October 3, Mr Woodcock injured his forehead when he fell over in Mersey Street.

Then, on Wednesday, October 13, he was walking back to his home in Mason Street with his friend Alan Jarvis, when he fell over on to the grass.

In a statement, Mr Jarvis said that Mr Woodcock had drunk a bottle of whisky and a 'few vodkas' by the time he left him at home that afternoon.

Mr Woodcock's friend Karen Bailey, aged 36, also visited him that day, and said that he was falling asleep as she left.

Mr Jarvis called for help after he returned to the house after midnight and found Mr Woodcock sitting upright on the sofa with white fluid coming out of his mouth.

A post mortem examination revealed the cause of death was a subdural haematoma, which is a haemorrhage to the head.

Assistant deputy coroner for Cheshire, Dr Robert Hunter, said that it was probable that the first fall may have caused the injury as symptoms do not always show straight away. Another bleed may have resulted from the second fall the day before Mr Woodcock's death.

He recorded a verdict of accidental death.