Sarisbury man died three months after accidental head injury

A retired teacher from Sarisbury Green died three months after an accidental bump on the head, an inquest heard.

David Pedder, of Brook Lane, was clearing out his car boot when he accidentally pulled the door on to his head in June last year. He suffered bleeding on the surface and inside of the brain, which pathologists said lead to his death, aged 78, on September 3.

His wife Dorothy said her six-foot three-inch husband used to frequently bump his head because of his height, so did not realise the nature of the injury until five days later when he appeared confused and agitated doing general household chores.

The inquest in Portsmouth heard how she rushed him to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham where he had several tests, which showed a swelling of the brain.

He was transferred to Wessex Neurological Centre in Southampton for two surgical procedures before being taken to the Gosport War Memorial Hospital to begin rehabilitation. But he became more confused and agitated and, when he started choking was returned to Queen Alexandra Hospital here he died.

Dr Adnan Al-Badri, a consultant pathologist at Queen Alexandra Hospital, said it was not uncommon that there had been no immediate signs of internal problems.

Coroner David Horsley said although Mr Pedder had previously suffered from cancer his death was caused by accidentally hitting his head.

After the inquest Mrs Pedder, 74, said: “Before he had bowel cancer five years ago, he’d never been ill in his life. He was a fit and healthy man – an athlete, a triple jumper at county level. He was a lovely dad and husband.

“He was a tall man at six foot three and bumped his head quite regularly. So when it happened it wasn’t uncommon.”

She described his confused state after the head accident which led her to take him to hospital. She said: “We’d been shopping and he couldn’t try a shirt on. I didn’t really think anything of it.

“But then he went to make a cup of tea and said he didn’t know how to do it. After 52 years of marriage I knew something wasn’t right.”

A few days prior to his death, Mrs Pedder visited her husband in the Gosport hospital and realised his condition would not improve.

“He wasn’t in a position to be rehabilitated really. We talked about him going into a nursing home because I wouldn’t have been able to care for him. I knew he wasn’t going to be the same David.”

She praised the doctors for looking after him and added: “We all did the best for him.”

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