Hereford man, Reginald Price, may have lain dead for two weeks (From Hereford Times)

Hereford man, Reginald Price, may have lain dead for two weeks

7:00am Monday 23rd November 2009 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

AN elderly man may have been dead in his Hereford flat for up to two weeks, an inquest was told.

Reginald Price, aged 79, of Drybridge House, was found behind a chair with a quilt half over him on May 16.

Gaynor Hemmington, relief scheme manager at the sheltered home, told a coroner that Mr Price had said he had booked a holiday and it was assumed he was away.

But when she checked the morning call sheet, she noticed that Mr Price was not marked as being outside the St Martin’s Street home. “I asked his neighbour if he would mind coming with me to Reg’s flat as a witness,” said Ms Hemmington. “We realised that it was unlocked and there was a lot of post on the floor.

“He was on the floor with a light quilted sheet over him. It looked like he had slipped off his bed.”

Ms Hemmington said Mr Price was a very private man and she last saw him with a gas mask on two weeks before he was found.

The inquest heard that Mr Price had breathing problems and was treated for a severe chronic airways disease.

Dr Carol Caldwell, pathologist at Hereford County Hospital, said that there were traces of paracetamol and alcohol in Mr Price’s body, but that this was nothing untoward.

She said the cause of death was unascertainable because of the length of time it took to find Mr Price.

PC Roger Williams told the inquest there were no suspicious circumstances.

Deputy assistant coroner for Hereford, Roland Wooderson, recorded an open verdict.

After the inquest, Mr Price’s lawyer and friend Mike Grundy said that no criticism should be placed on anyone at Drybridge House, adding they acted professionally and sensitively.