Death of van fire man was an accident
A HOMELESS man who was living in his van tragically died after the vehicle caught fire as he slept, an inquest heard.
David Alec Roseblade, left, was found in the burning van in the car park of Asda in Reddish, on March 4 this year.
The blaze was probably caused by a lit cigarette which set fire to some clothing and sleeping materials in the van, the coroner was told. Mr Roseblade, 49, had lost his job and then his home.
AHOMELESS man who was living in his van tragically died after the vehicle caught fire as he slept, an inquest heard.
David Alec Roseblade was found in the burning van in the car park of Asda in Reddish, Stockport, on March 4 this year.
The blaze was probably caused by a lit cigarette which set fire to some clothing and sleeping materials in the van, the coroner was told.
Mr Roseblade, 49, known to friends and family as Alec, was described by his family as ‘a diamond guy with a huge heart.’
An inquest into his death heard that he had been living in the van after losing his job, and later his home.
Fire investigation officers found clothes and a sleeping bag in the vehicle, as well as trade tools, and it is understood that Mr Roseblade – a builder – was using it to find work whenever he could.
There was also drugs paraphernalia in the van, and tests showed that he had cocaine and morphine in his system, at levels consistent with recreational use.
The court heard that Mr Roseblade died from ‘burns injuries.’
Fire investigation officer Iain Ronaldson said the blaze had ignited close to Mr Roseblade’s body and he did not appear to have attempted to escape it.
“I am certain that he was not conscious, and was not aware of the fire at all,” he said.
Giving evidence at the inquest, Mr Roseblade’s stepdaughter Tina described him as ‘a very skilled man, who could make anything out of anything.’
She said he did suffer from some anxiety, mainly after he was made redundant, which ‘kind of broke him.’
She also described him as a proud man, who struggled to let others help him.
“In the past few years when he was really struggling we were trying to help but he would not accept it,” she added.
Tina said she was not sure how he had become homeless, but his family were not aware he was living in the van.
The Coroner, Chris Morris, described Mr Roseblade as ‘a proud son of Stockport, who was good to be with and well thought of,’ and who had ‘slightly lost his way in life.’
He said he was satisfied that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr Roseblade’s death, and recorded a conclusion of accidental death.
Paying tribute to her stepfather after the hearing, Tina said: “He was a diamond guy with a huge heart.
“He was the only person I have ever known who poured cheese sauce all over his Christmas dinner.
“He touched the hearts of many with the things he built and the pieces he made.
“Though he was a man of pride he was never shy of telling us he loved us, and that I will hold in my heart forever.
“He had a beautiful send off, and probably only then could he see just how many friends and loved ones he had.
“His death has been a very difficult experience for all his family and friends, from the day he died up until today it had been agony.
“Nobody in the world will ever take his pace in our hearts and lives.”