Nomansheath pensioner drank himself to death

Oct 27 2011 by Carmella de Lucia, Chester Chronicle

A FORMER deputy headteacher who was found unconscious, bruised and bloodied on his bedroom floor died of factors relating to alcoholism, an inquest heard.

Robert Leigh, 73, who had lived alone at his home in Cross O’the Hill Road, Nomansheath, since separating from his wife, was discovered by a neighbour who had gone to the house to check on him.

Eric Farrelly, also a close friend and regular carer of Mr Leigh – who suffered from numerous ailments, including chronic back pain, gallstones and hypertension – had first called round to the pensioner’s house at about 10am on January 17 this year, having been away for a week on holiday.

He found Mr Leigh, a retired deputy headteacher of a comprehensive school in Congleton, lying on the floor half dressed and could make little sense of what he was saying.

Mr Leigh often refused to take his daily medication and preferred to use alcohol to ease his pain and it was not unusual for him to drink ‘up to four bottles of vodka a day’ so Mr Farrelly, assuming he was drunk, decided to leave him to sober up and come back later.

When he returned, he discovered his neighbour was still on the bedroom floor, but this time was covered in bruises and bloodstains and appeared unresponsive.

When paramedics arrived they noticed fresh bruising on Mr Leigh’s abdomen and abrasions to his body. Police assessing the scene later saw that pictures in the hall were askew and a potpourri bowl had been knocked over, while bloodstained vomit was splattered in the bathroom sink.

Mr Leigh was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital and later transferred to the Royal Liverpool, where he died on January 21.

The mysterious nature of how Mr Leigh came to sustain so many injuries meant the case was initially treated as suspicious.

But a post-mortem examination performed by a Home Office pathologist revealed Mr Leigh’s death had occurred through several contributing factors including hypothermia and ketoacidosis – a build up of alcoholic chemicals in the bloodstream.

Due to the time of year and the fact the house was never heated, it appeared he had collapsed of hypothermia, which caused his injuries.

The inquest, at Chester Magistrates Court, heard how Mr Leigh and his wife Susan, 60, who left the marital home in October 2010, had been fined £1,280 in 2009 for failing to comply with a noise abatement notice, after prolonged barking by their dogs.

Mr Leigh, originally from Congleton, had retired from his job about 20 years ago and was estranged from his grown up children from a previous marriage. At the time of his death he was making plans to begin divorce proceedings and move into sheltered accommodation.

Dr Janet Napier, deputy coroner for Cheshire, said Mr Leigh died due to ‘misadventure combined with his natural diseases’.