Worthing dad's fatal fall

Malcolm Cook, 56, of Broadwater Street West, Worthing, fell from his bedroom window on February 13, and died the next day in Worthing Hospital.

The fall had injured his chest and brought on an infection that affected his breathing.

The hearing, held at Worthing Town Hall heard Mr Cook started to become confused and agitated in the month before his death '“ symptoms of the tumour.

Giving evidence, his daughter ,Fiona Sampson, said that the day before he died, he had a particularly "difficult" day.

She said: "He couldn't sit still, he just wanted to walk and walk. He was very confused but the over-riding feeling was that he was anxious and agitated."

His GP, Dr Rupinder Boparai, prescribed a sedative but Miss Sampson did not believe it had worked as she was still unable to get her father to calm down a couple of hours later, and he was walking around in the street.

Later that evening, nurse Lynn Bright went round to look after Mr Cook overnight so his daughter could get some sleep.

Mrs Bright told the inquest Mr Cook showed no sign of particular agitation while she was there and he had a peaceful night.

She added: "The family obviously cared very, very deeply for him and were doing a very good job of looking after him."

Mr Cook, a former taxi driver, became ill in August, 2005, and was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

In February, 2006, he was told it was fatal and he had only had a few months to live.

In the later stages of his illness, Mr Cook, who was previously very fit and enjoyed going to the gym, liked to go out and walk a lot.

Miss Sampson said the tumour had affected his judgment crossing roads so he was always accompanied by a family member.

On the morning of his death, Miss Sampson said she was in bed when she heard her father try to open the front door but she always kept the doors locked, so she waited for him to go back to bed.

She went on: "He walked back in his bedroom and the next thing I heard, literally a minute after that, was a noise which I thought was an animal and I looked out of the window and dad was on the floor.

"I believe dad just wanted to go out. He tried the front door and couldn't open it and thought he would go this way.

"I don't believe his thought process would register it was high up '“ he just opened the window and went."

Coroner Roger Stone recorded a verdict of death caused by a serious infection brought on by chest injuries in a man with an advanced brain tumour.