Coroner rules man did not kill himself
6
news
Friday, May 1, 2015
Overheated flue blamed for fire A “botched” kitchen extension caused a fire in Richmond after a chimney flue overheated. Firefighters were called to Grena Gardens at 8.38pm on Sunday, April 26, to reports of a house fire, which started when the flue, that had been incorrectly installed, overheated and set wooden beams in the kitchen on fire. The fire took 20 minutes to get under control and firefighters had to take down part of the ceiling. Ben Midgley, green watch manager at Richmond fire station, said the crew
was at the scene for two hours and nobody was hurt. He said: “The flue had been incorrectly installed in the kitchen extension and it heated to the extent that it set light to the wooden beams. “The fuse blew and the lights went out, which alerted the two occupiers to what was happening. “It is fortunate that they realised before it spread further – there is three or four square foot of damage and will take a lot to repair it. The kitchen will need replastering.”
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Coroner rules man did not kill himself George Odling george.odling @london.newsquest.co.uk
The sister of a greengrocer who was found dead in his flat has expressed her distress it had taken two years to confirm her brother did not take his own life. Frank Chopping, 50, was found dead by police in his flat in Chertsey Court, Clifford Avenue, Mortlake, on February 15, 2013, but at an inquest into his death on Monday, April 27, senior coroner Chinyere Inyama said there was no indication he had taken his own life. When asked if suicide could be ruled out, Mr Inyama said: “Absolutely definitely. There is no evidence of suicide at all. “If that is what was worrying the family there is no reason to worry at all.” A postmortem examination showed Mr Chopping had enough alcohol in his system to
Found dead: Frank Chopping be two-and-a-half times over the drink-drive limit and a “high therapeutic level” of antidepressant olanzapine. There were no external marks or injuries to his body and the circumstances were not suspicious, the inquest heard. A doctors report read to the
inquest said Mr Chopping had a long history of alcohol dependency and a tendency to become anxious and depressed. He had agreed to attend an alcohol programme but the death of a childhood friend and subsequent grief caused him to begin drinking again. Carole Swinburne, Mr Chopping’s sister, said waiting for so long to confirm her brother had not committed suicide had been very upsetting. Speaking after the inquest, she said: “Frank was a big character in Richmond Market and is known by so many people in Richmond. “He was a very big character, very funny. He was the life and soul. “We miss Frank every day, he will never be forgotten.” Mr Inyama expressed his regret the inquest had not taken place sooner and the family had to wait so long for closure.
Mayor meeting: Kew Rotary Club president John Fletcher, left, with Councillor Jane Boulton and Peter King, president of rotary in Britain and Ireland
Club hears highlights of a mayoral year Mayor of Richmond Councillor Jane Boulton shared some of the highlights of her mayoral year with the Rotary Club of Kew Gardens. Coun Boulton was welcomed to the club’s meeting at the Coach and Horses Hotel on Wednesday, April 15, and was greeted by the
president of rotary in Britain and Ireland, Peter King, and club president John Fletcher. After dinner, the mayor told the club about her fondest moments of the past year, including the Richmond remembrance service commemorating 100 years since the outbreak of the First
World War and the memorial service at Westminster Abbey for Sir Richard Attenborough. Coun Boulton was also presented with a cheque for £200 for her two mayoral year charities, Homelink and Momentum. For more information about the club, visit kewrotary.org.uk.
Pensioner’s death at care home ‘natural’ An elderly man who died in a Teddington care home did so of natural causes, a coroner has ruled. John Coupland, 91, a resident at Deer Park View Care Centre, had a “do not resuscitate” order
in place as he did not wish to make use of any life-prolonging equipment, West London Coroner’s Court heard. He died on December 31, 2014, and a report from Mr Coupland’s doctor said he was frail when
admitted to the home earlier that year and suffered from dementia. Senior coroner Chinyere Inyama concluded Mr Coupland died of old age, heart disease and vascular dementia.
news
Friday, May 1, 2015
Overheated flue blamed for fire A “botched” kitchen extension caused a fire in Richmond after a chimney flue overheated. Firefighters were called to Grena Gardens at 8.38pm on Sunday, April 26, to reports of a house fire, which started when the flue, that had been incorrectly installed, overheated and set wooden beams in the kitchen on fire. The fire took 20 minutes to get under control and firefighters had to take down part of the ceiling. Ben Midgley, green watch manager at Richmond fire station, said the crew
was at the scene for two hours and nobody was hurt. He said: “The flue had been incorrectly installed in the kitchen extension and it heated to the extent that it set light to the wooden beams. “The fuse blew and the lights went out, which alerted the two occupiers to what was happening. “It is fortunate that they realised before it spread further – there is three or four square foot of damage and will take a lot to repair it. The kitchen will need replastering.”
rttimes.co.uk
020 8744 4200
facebook.com/rttimes
Coroner rules man did not kill himself George Odling george.odling @london.newsquest.co.uk
The sister of a greengrocer who was found dead in his flat has expressed her distress it had taken two years to confirm her brother did not take his own life. Frank Chopping, 50, was found dead by police in his flat in Chertsey Court, Clifford Avenue, Mortlake, on February 15, 2013, but at an inquest into his death on Monday, April 27, senior coroner Chinyere Inyama said there was no indication he had taken his own life. When asked if suicide could be ruled out, Mr Inyama said: “Absolutely definitely. There is no evidence of suicide at all. “If that is what was worrying the family there is no reason to worry at all.” A postmortem examination showed Mr Chopping had enough alcohol in his system to
Found dead: Frank Chopping be two-and-a-half times over the drink-drive limit and a “high therapeutic level” of antidepressant olanzapine. There were no external marks or injuries to his body and the circumstances were not suspicious, the inquest heard. A doctors report read to the
inquest said Mr Chopping had a long history of alcohol dependency and a tendency to become anxious and depressed. He had agreed to attend an alcohol programme but the death of a childhood friend and subsequent grief caused him to begin drinking again. Carole Swinburne, Mr Chopping’s sister, said waiting for so long to confirm her brother had not committed suicide had been very upsetting. Speaking after the inquest, she said: “Frank was a big character in Richmond Market and is known by so many people in Richmond. “He was a very big character, very funny. He was the life and soul. “We miss Frank every day, he will never be forgotten.” Mr Inyama expressed his regret the inquest had not taken place sooner and the family had to wait so long for closure.
Mayor meeting: Kew Rotary Club president John Fletcher, left, with Councillor Jane Boulton and Peter King, president of rotary in Britain and Ireland
Club hears highlights of a mayoral year Mayor of Richmond Councillor Jane Boulton shared some of the highlights of her mayoral year with the Rotary Club of Kew Gardens. Coun Boulton was welcomed to the club’s meeting at the Coach and Horses Hotel on Wednesday, April 15, and was greeted by the
president of rotary in Britain and Ireland, Peter King, and club president John Fletcher. After dinner, the mayor told the club about her fondest moments of the past year, including the Richmond remembrance service commemorating 100 years since the outbreak of the First
World War and the memorial service at Westminster Abbey for Sir Richard Attenborough. Coun Boulton was also presented with a cheque for £200 for her two mayoral year charities, Homelink and Momentum. For more information about the club, visit kewrotary.org.uk.
Pensioner’s death at care home ‘natural’ An elderly man who died in a Teddington care home did so of natural causes, a coroner has ruled. John Coupland, 91, a resident at Deer Park View Care Centre, had a “do not resuscitate” order
in place as he did not wish to make use of any life-prolonging equipment, West London Coroner’s Court heard. He died on December 31, 2014, and a report from Mr Coupland’s doctor said he was frail when
admitted to the home earlier that year and suffered from dementia. Senior coroner Chinyere Inyama concluded Mr Coupland died of old age, heart disease and vascular dementia.
