A man who was found with a serious head injury at his Ryde home died after falling down the stairs, a coroner has concluded.
52-year-old James Richard Hughes was discovered unconscious at the bottom of the staircase at his home on St Michael’s Avenue during the early hours of 26th September 2024, as previously reported by Island Echo.
Mr Hughes was rushed to St Mary’s Hospital and was later transferred to Southampton General Hospital by the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter, where he sadly died the following evening at 19:55.
A police investigation was launched at the time to explore whether Mr Hughes had been assaulted. However, a Section 9c in writing inquest held has now concluded that his death was accidental.
The Senior Coroner for the Isle of Wight, Caroline Sumeray, found that Mr Hughes sustained a traumatic brain injury due to an unwitnessed fall down the stairs at his home. He was found in an unconscious state by his wife, and despite medical intervention, could not be saved.
The medical cause of death was given as a traumatic brain injury with a fracture at the base of the skull, with Type 2 diabetes also noted.
Mr Hughes was born in Rugby, Warwickshire.
Very sad.