A MAN died in hospital days after falling down stairs at his New Forest home, an inquest heard.

William Kerr spent 10 days in Southampton General Hospital following the incident in Beech Crescent, Hythe, on April 7.

Winchester Coroner's Court heard the 59-year-old had been drinking in the Forest Home Pub in Hardley with a friend, before continuing to drink at his home with his landlady.

Tracy Birks, who had other lodgers at her property, told the inquest that Mr Kerr's "Scottish accent was stronger than normal" and that he was swaying on his feet.

She added: "I could never understand him when he had had a drink and I used to have to tell him to slow down.

"He was just, sort of like swaying a bit where he was drunk."

Ms Birks told the inquest that shortly before 11pm, he was on his way to his upstairs bedroom when she heard a crash.

Alerted by the noise, she ran to check on him, and found him lying at the bottom of the stairs. Mr Kerr was rushed to hospital where tests revealed he had sustained serious head injuries.

Consultant neurosurgeon Aabir Chakraborty said that there was a very high chance Mr Kerr would have been left disabled if he had survived, and it was decided to take "conservative action", rather than carry out an operation.

The inquest heard from pathologist Dr Mark Fabian that as well as the "severe" head injuries, Mr Kerr had development a lung infection, the combination of which caused his death.

Recording a conclusion of accidental death, senior coroner Grahame Short said he believed Mr Kerr was intoxicated at the time of the fall, but could not say to what degree.

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