A MAN who had poor vision, a heart condition and "drank too much" fell to his death outside his Wheathampsted flat, a St Albans coroner's court heard on Monday, October 29.

Mr Robert William Johnson, 68, of East Lane, was discovered unconscious in the garden area of Riverside Flats by a postal worker on August 9 this year.

A post mortem revealed he died from heart failure induced by a cerebral oedema and haemorrhage on the base of his brain which, the court heard, was probably caused by a fall down the stairs from his first-floor flat.

Evidence also suggested his fall may have been a result of various medical conditions, which included poor vision caused by cataracts and a septic foot which meant "he was not always sure-footed".

After finding Mr Johnson's body slumped against steps by the garden wall at about 9am, postal worker Emma Lamonica called an ambulance from a nearby garage.

Mr Johnson, who retired three years ago and divorced his second wife in 1981, did not like going to the doctor and missed several appointments, the court heard.

According to documentary evidence from his son and daughter read out at the inquest, he "was not sensible about what he ate, admitted to smoking 20 cigarettes a day" and "his problem with drink seemed to be getting worse".

However, a post mortem revealed his kidneys were "remarkably normal", his spleen was also normal and his skull was intact, although his blood pressure had been high. No alcohol was detected in his blood at the time of his death.

Coroner Graham Danbury recorded a verdict of accidental death.

November 6, 2001 10:30