House fire that killed MS patient caused by fault in TV
A house fire which killed a disabled woman started due to an electrical fault in a television, an inquest heard.
Gillian Nash, aged 64, died at the scene of the blaze at her home in the Knoll, Kingswinford, on the night of September 12.
An inquest at Black Country Coroner's Court on Monday heard that Mrs Nash had multiple sclerosis (MS) and had been looked after in her home by her family and a team of carers for more than 30 years.
Mrs Nash's husband John told the hearing that his wife was not bedbound as such but that she had to be hoisted into a wheelchair to move.
The hearing heard that Mr Nash had gone to visit friends on the evening and left his wife with a carer, who left at around 7.30pm.
Mr Nash returned home sometime after 9pm and saw smoke coming from the property.
Emergency services were called to the semi-detached home at around 9.10pm, but Mrs Nash was confirmed dead after the fire started in her ground-floor bedroom.
A post-mortem examination, carried out by consultant pathologist Dr Swapna Ghosh, showed that Mrs Nash had a "significantly" high level of Carboxyhemoglobin in her blood, which forms when carbon monoxide is inhaled. A medical cause of death was listed as smoke inhalation from a house fire.
The fire was deemed to have started accidentally because of an unidentified electrical fault with the television in her bedroom, according to a report prepared by fire investigation officer James Holder.
The report, read out by area coroner for the Black Country Joanne Lees during the hearing, said: "Gillian did not smoke, there were no candles or heaters in use, and all other electrical sources were eliminated to be the origin of the fire.
"In his opinion, Gillian was most likely to have submitted to the smoke and rendered unconscious in the early stages of the fire."
Speaking about his wife during the hearing, Mr Nash said: "Gillian was a long-standing MS patient and we had cared for her at home for more than 30 years. We also had a team of carers, she had 24/7 care.
"She had, as much as you can with the condition, a fulfilled life and she enjoyed family life and her grandchildren.
"She loved her carers – they were more than carers they were like extended family.
"If she had passed away with natural causes it would have been sad, but this has been tragic. We all miss Gillian, particularly her sense of humour."
Coroner Mrs Lees recorded a conclusion of accidental death and offered her condolences to Mrs Nash's family.