Dementia sufferer put toxic chemical in his coffee

AN elderly dementia sufferer died after using poisonous stain remover to make coffee, an inquest has heard.

John Guttridge and his wife Ann both fell ill soon after mistaking the granules of Vanish Oxi-Action Gold for instant coffee.

Mrs Guttridge recovered from the effects but her 83-year-old husband died. The hearing at Teesside Coroner’s Court heard that on July 15 Mrs Guttridge had gone upstairs to order groceries online.

The 79-year-old retired doctor said her husband “called up to say he was going to make us a coffee”.

When she came back down Mr Guttridge was coughing but she thought he had choked on a biscuit.

“I put some washing on and the Persil Bio and Vanish Oxi-Action was on the bench,” she said.

Mrs Guttridge took a swig of the coffee and immediately tasted chemicals.

Realising what had happened, she checked the labelling on the box which said to seek medical attention if ingested and causing problems.

“I gave him glasses of water and milk. At first it did not seem serious,” she said.

But by approximately 12.15pm they were both experiencing severe symptoms. Mrs Guttridge called emergency services and both were rushed from their home in Claremont Drive in Hartlepool to the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton. Mr Guttridge died the following morning.

The court heard the elderly man had been diagnosed with vascular dementia, for which there was no cure, but he had been referred to memory clinics.

His wife said: “He was just trying to help. Usually I made the coffee.”

A post mortem examination concluded Mr Guttridge died of “chemical gastritis due to sodium per carbonate and carbonate ingestion.”

Claire Bailey, acting senior coroner for Teesside, reached a conclusion of misadventure.