Willenhall father died on birthday after garden collapse
A 'committed family man' suffered a fractured skull and died after he collapsed in the garden of his home - a day before he was to go on holiday to celebrate his birthday.
David Moore fell and struck his head on a footpath at his home, in Somerset Road, County Bridge, Willenhall on March 20, his 68th birthday.
Despite the efforts of his wife Ann and paramedics who were called to the scene, the retired Inland Revenue officer died from his injuries.
The couple, who have a daughter Frances, were planning to go on holiday the next day to celebrate his birthday.
Mrs Moore told the inquest that he had taken some home grown carrots into the kitchen and was returning to the garden when she heard a thud at about 3.45pm. She said she did not see him fall.
She said: "He decided to spend his birthday working in the garden because we bought a new greenhouse and we were going away on the weekend.
"Frances heard him moving round in the house. He came out of the back door into the garden and I heard a thud. I will never forget it. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, we wore t-shirts and there was no moss on the footpath, there was nothing to slip over on."
She said she found her husband collapsed and lying on his back in the gateway.
She said: "I slapped his face trying to wake him. His arm went rigid. A passer-by who was walking his dogs came to help. I did CPR and Frances called the ambulance which came moments later. The paramedic took over and tried to resuscitate him."
"He was a really committed family man. His family meant everything to him. He had retired and was enjoying his retirement. He retired in March last year when he was 67. He was full of life. We were going away the following day.
"He had been a very healthy man all our married life. He used to walk the dogs."
The cause of death was given as skull fracture and blunt head injury at the hearing held this week at Smethwick Council House.
Black Country Coroner Mr Zafar Saddique said: "On balance of probabilities it may be a natural event that caused the fall, but there is no direct evidence of that.
"I am going to conclude that death was a natural cause. He may have had some form of stroke and fell and hit his head."
Mr Moore's funeral will be held later this month.
