Man died from single punch after leaving care home for pub visit
inquest into the death of a man after a single punch at a Derbyshire care home has concluded that the fight which resulted in his death could not have been prevented.
Robert Chaplin died at the Queen’s Medical Centre, in Nottingham, just a few hours after he was punched in the face.
Robert Thomas Chaplin, 49, suffered from a number of mental health problems and learning disabilities including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism and diabetes.
After moving around a number of properties during his life, he moved into the Morewood Care Home in Alfreton in July 2019.
During his time at the home another man – an 18-year-old when the incident occurred – also started using Morewood as a place to get respite care for his learning difficulties and mental health issues, although the inquest heard that he was never a full-time resident.
The inquest, which lasted for four days, was told the on January 23, 2020, Mr Chaplin had been seen by the man, known as Witness A due to legal reasons, arguing with two other residents “and possibly throwing punches”, the coroner Peter Nieto commented during his summingup.
The staff at Morewood said that they used distraction tactics to try to defuse the situation.
A few hours later, Mr Chaplin returned from a trip to a local pub having asked for and been given £30 of his own money.
Witnesses told the hearing that Mr Chaplin was clearly drunk when he returned and that affected his mood, making him more aggressive and confrontational.
Mr Chaplin and Witness A started arguing in the TV room of the care home.
“Both men exchanged violent and aggressive comments,” Mr Nieto told the hearing, with Witness A leaving the room and going outside, smashing a plant pot in anger.
The inquest heard that while outside, Witness A attempted to call his best friend to talk about what had happened, but his friend didn’t answer the phone so Witness A texted him instead.
Witness A then went back into the room where Mr Chaplin was and he “confronted Witness A with raised fists and it ended with Witness A punching Mr Chaplin in the face”, Mr Nieto said.
Area coroner Peter Nieto also said that he considered Witness A had punched Mr Chaplin in self-defence.
As a result of the punch, Mr Chaplin then suffered a cardiac arrest with staff at the care home performing CPR until the ambulance arrived.
Mr Chaplin died a short time later on Friday, January 24, 2020, at the Queen’s Medical Centre of a hypoxic brain injury as a result of a cardiac arrest.
As part of his conclusion, Mr Nieto said he did not consider the care home in Alfreton an unsuitable place for both Mr Chaplin and Witness A to have been placed, howAN ever, he did accept that if they hadn’t been there at the same time, Mr Chaplin’s death would have been avoided.
In his summing up, Mr Nieto said staff at the Morewood Care Home had been adequately trained.
“If it had been the case that it had been clearly established, on the evidence, that Morewood was totally unsuitable for Robert or Witness A then I would say there would’ve been more need to look at that in more detail, but the evidence is that it was not. Although not ideal, the placement was not inappropriate for either of the men,” Mr Nieto added.
He suggested that, while Mr Chaplin couldn’t have been denied access to his £30, a member of staff could have had a discussion with him about taking less money.
He said: “[There was a possibility] that he would have drunk too much with the resulting effect on his behaviour, given the clash that had happened earlier in the day.
“Also in hindsight, it seems to me that Robert’s degree of intoxication must have had some relevance to the altercation between Robert and Witness A.”
However, Mr Nieto accepted that even such a discussion might not have stopped Mr Chaplin from taking the £30.