Retired senior laboratory technician from Cross died after accidental fall down stairs

A retired senior laboratory technician from Cross died after suffering a head injury following an accidental fall down her stairs at home.

Margaret Pritchard, who was 72, was found dead at her Springfield Close home in Cross on July 9, and the senior coroner for Somerset Tony Williams concluded the inquest into Mrs Pritchard's death today (October 22).

Mr Williams recorded a finding of accidental death following a fall down a flight of stairs where Mrs Pritchard sustained a fatal head injury.

Mrs Pritchard was found at her home by her daughter Sarah Laws, who called the emergency services, and paramedics and police officers attended the scene.

The police reported there were no suspicious circumstances concerning the death and the inquest heard that at the scene PC Saffron Edwards had found a picture frame that had come off the wall on the stairs, with a corner having Mrs Pritchard's blood on it.

Mrs Pritchard had seen her daughter for an Indian takeaway meal the night before, and had been in good spirits.

The inquest heard Mrs Pritchard had no underlying health issues that might have caused the fall, having not needed to see a doctor since December last year.

A post mortem was carried out by Dr Stephen Holwill, pathologist at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, who confirmed to the inquest that there was no alcohol in Mrs Pritchard's blood at the time of death, and that the cause of death was the head injury.