INQUEST: Death of much-loved Blackpool dad was a tragic accident

Mr Bevan, centre right, with his beloved wife Joanne, sister Julie and brother Stephen

The investigation into the death of Christopher Bevan, 53, of Alderley Avenue, came to an end l following a three-day inquest at Blackpool Town Hall.

Mr Bevan had been working on a garage roof on Holmfield Road, Bispham, on August 14 2018 at around 3.30pm when he suffered a 6ft fall.

His son Nicholas, who had been working with him, was sitting in their van at the time.

He heard a bang and saw his father laid on the cobblestone drive next to a concrete block that had broken in half. A neighbour also heard and went out to help.

A 999 call was made at 3.42pm. At 3.46pm a rapid response vehicle was requested, and senior paramedic Wayne Pemberton, a former nurse with 20 years experience, arrived at the scene at 3.50pm. An ambulance arrived five minutes later.

At the inquest, Mr Pemberton said: “As I arrived I could see Christopher sat on the floor in the driveway being tended to by a male and a female who I now know to be Christopher’s son and a neighbour.

“Chris had been working on the roof, fixing the roof, and then the loud bang had been heard. He wasn’t with anybody. He was presumed to have fallen to the floor.

“The primary assessment showed that Christopher was extremely confused, agitated and combative. His eyes were closed but he was constantly trying to stand up, and pushing against us.He wasn’t aware of where he was or what he was doing.”

Mr Bevan was taken to Royal Preston Hospital, where a CT scan revealed a severe brain injury and swelling.Doctors performed a craniotomy, an operation to remove part of the skull, to relieve the pressure on Mr Bevan’s brain.

However, his injuries were noted to be unsurvivable, and he died at 6.40pm on August 15. Professor Timothy Dawson, who carried out the autopsy on Mr Bevan, said he died from diffused brain swelling due to blunt force head trauma following a fall.

The dad-of-two had 300g of extra weight on his brain compared to a normal adult male brain, and 72ml of blood was found on his left frontal hemesphere. Professor Dawson told the inquest that more than 50ml blood on the brain usually proved fatal.

Coroner Tim Holloway passed a conclusion of accidental death.