Pensioner fell through ceiling and died suspended upside down, inquest hears

Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner's Court

A Swindon pensioner fell through his ceiling and died suspended upside down.

Opening the inquest, Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court heard that 83-year-old Royston Heaney fell through the floorboards in his bathroom on 18 May this year.

It was said that during the fall, he became entangled in electrical cables – which caused him to become suspended upside down in the kitchen below.

Advertisement

His body was discovered by police officers who forced entry to his home when neighbours raised concerns about his welfare. He is believed to have died several days earlier.

A post-mortem examination revealed that Mr Heaney’s cause of death was positional asphyxia.

Commenting on the investigation, Wiltshire Police said they “do not believe the death to be suspicious”.

The coroner adjourned the inquest to a future date and Mr Heaney’s body was released to his family.

Click here to join our WhatsApp Channel and get breaking news sent directly to your mobile – don’t forget to turn on notifications by clicking the bell icon.

Click a topic to read more stories like this:

Keep Up to Date with the Most Important News

By pressing the Subscribe button, you confirm that you have read and are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Advertisement