Father died from brain injury after late night fall
A MAN who fell from a first floor window when drunk suffered a brain injury which led to his death shortly afterwards.
James Hall, 38, of Clevedon Court Hotel, Warrior Square, was found lying unconscious in the road in Kings Close, Bexhill, in the early hours of July 29, 2012.
He died later that evening atHurstwood Park Hospital in Haywards Heath of a subdural haematoma.
At the inquest into his death on Wednesday (February 6) it emerged that shortly before 11pm on July 28, the unemployed father had tried to enter the flat of a friend Linda Degerdon, in Amherst Road, Bexhill, through a first floor window, but had fallen at least 15ft.
Ms Degerdon returned home after being alerted that a man was trying to get into her flat, and spoke with Mr Hall.
She told the inquest that during their conversation he suddenly fell backwards.
She went to get her phone to call an ambulance for him but when she returned moments later, Mr Hall had gone.
Mr Hall was found shortly after in nearby cul-de-sac by Anthony Worman, who was returning home to Kings Close from work at around 12.15am.
He dialled 999 and an ambulance arrived minutes later.
Blood tests taken at hospital revealed he had 82mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in his system, though coroner Alan Craze said that at the time Mr Hall collapsed it was likely that the alcohol level was something like 200mg.
This is two and a half times the legal limit for driving.
Mr Craze said: “Having fallen, it is not at all surprising that he was unsteady on his feet and fell again.”
He recorded a verdict of death by misadventure, adding that this was ‘taking on board the large quantity of alcohol, then trying to climb in a first-floor window’.
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