OAPs died after salmonella outbreak linked to butchers
The death of two much-loved pensioners were linked to them eating cooked meat from a butchers’ shop, an inquest heard.
Sandra Blake, 68, of Horden, and Stewart Graham, 66, from Shotton Coll i e r y, d i e d f o l l o w i n g a n outbreak of salmonella in East Durham and Hartlepool in February 2018, yesterday’s inquest heard.
Teesside and Hartlepool Coroner’s Court heard all but one of the 28 salmonella cases reported were of the same version as that was found in cooked pork from Chapman and Sons butchers, which was in Back Middle Street in Blackhall Colliery until it ceased trading in March that year.
Retired cleaner Sandra and husband Heath, 71, a former miner, had eaten food from the business and both fell ill due to salmonella.
M r G ra h a m , a ret i re d Sunderland AFC coach who coached England captain Steph Houghton, was a regular customer, but his family could not be sure when he last visited.
Pathologist Dr Jennifer Bolton was called in to review reports from doctors who treated Mrs Blake before she suffered multi-organ failure at the University Hospital of North Tees.
She found she died due to sepsis, with a secondary cause of a recent salmonella infection, and Parkinson’s Disease and Stiff Person’s Syndrome, which required immunosuppressants.
Dr Bolton described how the salmonella “set off a seque n c e o f e ve nt s” wh i c h meant she had not regained her health.
Mr Graham died due to sepsis from gastroenteritis from salmonella with secondary causes linked to bladder cancer and heart disease, the hearing was told.
T h e f ath e r - o f - f ive h ad told his loved ones he was unwell and was later found after the fire service force entry to his home when his family became concerned
for him.
The jury inquest heard their existing health conditions would have made it more difficult for them to recover from infection.
Evidence from Dr Debbie Wilson, of Public Health England, said checks established salmonella – which is known to have 2,500 different types – had been present at the butchers for “several weeks” before the outbreak.
She found the most likely source was cross-contamination from raw meat, other
foods or from a food handler or handlers.
The court was told one of the cases involved a food handler, while two others were in people linked to the premises. There were 23 cases linked to the shop without question.
T h e i n s p e c t io n ra i s e d concerns about hygiene including hand washing facilities, appropriate dilution of sanitiser and proper mana ge m e nt o f c l oth s i n th e ‘ready to eat’ area.
The jury returned a conc lu s io n th at M r G ra h a m , who died on February 21, and Mrs Blake, who died on February 28, died as a result of consuming pork products purchased from a butchers shop in Blackhall and both had existing health problems.
They went on to say Mr Graham died of a salmonella infection contributed to by natural causes.
They concluded Mrs Blake died of natural causes contributed by an infection of salmonella.