News Inquest told of collapse
A man who collapsed in Old Goole after a drinking session died as a result of natural causes, a coroner ruled this week.
Stephen Patrick Nicholls (56), of Fieldhouse Villas on Swinefleet Road in Old Goole, began drinking in the Marshlands Hotel in Old Goole at around 11.15am on Sunday, April 6.
He had a couple of drinks then left to go to Old Goole Working Men's Club but later returned to the Marshlands. He continued to drink with his son, also called Stephen, and a friend of his son, Mark Krebbs.
His son said: "I met my dad in the Marshlands at around 2pm on the Sunday and he was at the bar. There was nothing unusual at that stage. You could tell he'd had a drink but he didn't seem to be drunk."
Nicola Ward, licensee of the Marshlands Hotel, pointed out that Mr Nicholls was a regular in her pub, so much so that if he didn't turn up one day she would wonder where he was. She said: "It was quite a busy day that day because there was a christening on - it wasn't a normal day.
"The lads ended up in some silly drinking competition as lads do and began drinking vodka and Red Bull. I've never witnessed Steve drink anything other than John Smiths. On average he would drink 12 pints of John Smiths but I couldn't tell you exactly how much he had to drink."
Mr Nicholls (senior) downed two vodka and Red Bulls and shortly after this his son returned from the toilet to find him on the floor.
Ms Ward said: "I had seen him merry two or three times, but never falling down."
Mr Nicholls tried to coax his dad up from the floor but he fell down again and so he decided to take him home. Mr Nicholls (snr) collapsed on the corner of Marshland Road.
His son said: "It was only when somebody said that he wasn't breathing that I realised what was going on." Paramedics were called but he could not be revived.
Dr Long, who conducted the post mortem, found that Mr Nicholls heart was enlarged to twice its normal weight but with no significant disease. Mr Nicholls was also found to have 359mg in 100ml of blood and 14mg per 100ml in his urine.
He said: "The alcohol level is a little below what would cause death due to alcohol poisoning but the alcohol may have played a part."
Mr Nicholls had sometimes complained to friends and family that he had difficulty breathing and later found out that he had cancer of the throat, which resulted in surgery. This ended his working life but he continued to drink in large quantities every day.
His wife, Marcia Dorothy Nicholls, said she had asked her husband on numerous occasions to cut back on his drinking. She said: "I didn't want him to stop drinking but just to cut down a little bit, but to no avail. It's just a pity this has happened."
Coroner Geoffrey Saul said: "He was a big man and enjoyed drinking. He spent some time in the pub and for the most part he was drinking John Smiths bitter and he then started drinking vodka with Red Bull in it. He didn't seem noticeably worse for wear but he had two falls later on.
"His son and others tried to help him out of the pub and on the way home but he collapsed on the journey and couldn't be revived. His son had the good mind to put him on his back so that he could breathe due to his recent throat surgery.
"Although he had a lot of alcohol Dr Long, who carried out the post mortem did not believe that this was the cause. The post mortem revealed that he had a very large heart and it was hyper-tensive heart disease that caused the death.
"The death was one of natural causes not directly related to the drink."
Published on 31st July 2008 in News.
Add to: Digg | del.icio.us | Reddit
Comments
Posted by anne tomkins at 20:47:10 on 6 August 2008
I HAVE READ TONIGHT THE INQUEST OF STEVE NICHOLLS. MY LATE HUSBAND JIM AND STEVE WERE MATES AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY HOW SORRY I WAS TO HEAR OF STEVES DEATH. I HAD NOT HEARD AND WAS VERY SHOCKED WHEN I READ ALL ABOUT HIS DEATH. COULD YOU PLEASE THROUGH YOUR PAPER PLEASE PASS MY CONDOLENCES ON TO MARCIA. THE LAST TIME I SAW THEM I WAS WALKING ALONG THE BEACH IN MARMARIS IN TURKEY AND MARCIA AND STEVE ALONG WITH ALL THE FAMILY WERE THERE. PLEASE TELL MARCIA HOW SORRY I WAS TO READ ABOUT STEVE AND SEND HER MY BEST WISHES.
Comments are closed for this article.