The answers are obvious

Published: Monday, 30 April 2018

THE relatives of a man who died after falling into Gloucester Docks have demanded answers from a coroner as to how it happened.

Richard Long, the inquest was told, was found lying in the road outside Kwik Fit in the early hours of the 18th November last year, with paramedics called who discovered he was unresponsive so was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, admitting he had been drinking heavily, Alan Tilbury reports.

Heard a splash

After treatment he was discharged but at 6.10pm that day an ambulance was called to Gloucester docks after someone heard a splash and reported it,

The crew found Richard Long in the dock basin. He was pulled out of the water and was obviously very intoxicated, the inquest heard.

Deteriorated

Yet again, he was taken to hospital but this time his condition deteriorated and he died.

A post mortem showed that he was nearly two and a half times the legal limit of alcohol for a driver in his urine, and the  pathologist found his death to be due to acute alcohol toxicity.

The coroner told that it was clear Richard Long had been on a 'prolonged drinking session' that day and she did not feel she needed any more evidence to reach a conclusion that his death was alcohol-related.

The family are however demanding answers...