Welsh Government officer died after falling down stairs

A Welsh Government employee died from a catastrophic head injury after falling down the stairs at home, an inquest has heard.

Sixty-year-old Kerry Charles, who'd worked as a European funding officer for the past 19 years, was found by his wife Carol lying in the hallway of the address they shared in Thornberry Close, Rhiwbina, Cardiff, in the early hours of April 9, 2020.

An inquest at Pontypridd Coroners' Court earlier today (Tuesday April 6) heard that the pair had been "drinking, playing music and chatting" around a fire in their back garden on the evening of April 8 last year, having previously FaceTimed some friends. Mr Charles then went inside to the toilet and was gone for a while.

However, in a statement provided to the court Mrs Charles revealed that the dad-of-two from Ebbw Vale had been diagnosed with bowel cancer a decade before, the treatment for which had left him prone to making multiple trips to the bathroom - as many as 10 to 15 per evening. He was also diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2016.

Used to him "disappearing for some time because of his condition", Mrs Charles - who admitted the pair had drunk a bottle of wine between them, along with some spirits - eventually went to see where he was. It was at that point she was shocked to find him lying at the foot of the stairs and making loud snoring noises. She also noticed a 'small amount of blood' on his face. There was also a mark on the wall running almost the full length of the stairwell which had not been there before.

Aware he'd suffered falls in the past, after which he'd been unclear of where he was, Mrs Charles turned her husband onto his side. But, upon failing to wake him, she went upstairs to "collect her thoughts", only later noticing that he'd gone quiet. She then called 999 and was talked through how to administer CPR until the paramedics arrived.

Robert Nihan, duty operations manager for the Welsh Ambulance Service, recalled arriving at the property just after 1am to find the front door open and Mrs Charles performing emergency chest compressions on someone 'lying supine on the floor, fully clothed and in obvious cardiac arrest'.

He added that Mrs Charles had told him how she'd found her husband and, thinking he was asleep, turned him onto his side and gone to bed. However, upon discovering he was no longer breathing she'd called for help.

Mr Nihan added that Mr Charles was defibrillated twice before they managed to resuscitate him at 2.20am and take him to the University Hospital of Wales. There he was found to have a wound on the back of his head, while the pupils of both eyes were not responding to light, indicating he'd suffered potentially significant brain damage.

A CT scan also revealed internal bleeding, severe brain swelling and multiple skull fractures. He also had a number of broken ribs and fluid in his lungs.

Medics concluded that Mr Charles had suffered a catastrophic brain injury and "would die very soon". His death was confirmed at 5.25am on April 9, but, due to Covid-19 regulations, his family were unable to be by his side.

In addition to finding traces of prescription medication in his system, a further toxicology report showed that Mr Charles had a blood alcohol reading of 354 milligrammes per decilitre - indicating he'd drunk a large amount prior to his death. The equivalent of being four times over the UK drink driving limit, such a quantity can contribute to a loss of critical judgement, concentration, muscular coordination and even, in some cases, consciousness.

Senior coroner for south Wales central, Graeme Hughes, recorded a conclusion of alcohol-related accidental death.

He said: "I'm satisfied it's unlikely Kerry deliberately put himself in peril.

"Marks on the wall (of the stairwell) noticed by Mrs Charles suggest he'd fallen some distance from the top to the bottom, sustaining a massive head injury. Evidence provided by the toxicologist demonstrated the consumption of a large amount of alcohol, and it's my view the amount in Kerry's system would likely have exerted some influence on him at the time he fell."