Fatal fall blamed on shoelaces

Dementia sufferer George Kenneth Elliott, aged 92, died in the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield two days after he was discovered lying in the middle of Sandygate Road, Crosspool, on Easter Sunday.

The great-grandfather, who was known as Ken, told his daughter, Heather Elliott, of Greystones, that he had been hit by a car. An investigation was launched after police found tyre marks at the scene.

But pathologist Professor Christopher Milroy, who carried out a post mortem, concluded that the injuries suffered by Mr Elliott - a serious wound to his forehead, internal bleeding and a grazed leg - were ‘consistent with a fall and not with being struck by a vehicle.’

Prof Milroy confirmed that death was caused by head injuries.

PC Neil Morrell said Mr Elliott, who was partially-sighted, had fallen just 200 yards from the Cairn Home for the Elderly Blind on Selborne Road, Crosspool, where he was resident.

The policeman said there were no tripping hazards on the road.

Police had no suspicions that an assault had taken place.

He said Mr Elliott’s left shoe was not fastened, and there was no lace in his right shoe. Cairn Home senior care assistant Tracy Sturgess said that Mr Elliot had a fixation with his shoelaces and would often remove them, before telling staff he was going out to buy new ones.

Recording a verdict of accidental death Assistant Deputy Coroner Nicola Munday said: “Unfortunately the most likely cause of his death was that the shoes were not fastened.”