Accidental death recorded for elderly woman found dead in her apartment
AN ELDERLY woman found dead in her flat by neighbours is believed to have fallen and hit her head.
The alarm was raised after other residents living at Metropole Court in Eastbourne could not get hold of 92-year-old Stella Alexander.
An inquest into the widow’s death heard how Janice Bates, who lived in the same building, described the widow as quite wobbly but said she was able to get out and do her own shopping.
Mrs Alexander’s son had visited her on the Friday before her death and Mrs Bates told him she would call on his mother to see how she was. But she became concerned after she was unable to get hold of her on the Monday or the next morning on November 1 last year.
She told the inquest, “It bugged me and I thought ‘I’m sure something is wrong’.
“I went to her neighbour next door.
“We both called through the letter box and called through a window.”
There was no response and Mrs Bates and another resident David Marran, entered the property with a key and found Mrs Alexander dead in her bedroom. It appeared as though she had fallen off the bed.
Her head was leaning on a pouf and there was blood on that and the carpet.
The inquest heard that the Saturday paper was open in the lounge and the clocks, which had been due to go back that weekend, had not been changed.
Police said there was no sign of foul play.
A post mortem showed there was bleeding on the brain and she had bruises around the right side of her head and face.
Coroner Alan Craze recorded a verdict of accidental death.
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Weather for Eastbourne
Wednesday 22 May 2013
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