Medics disagreed over tragic boxer

The inquiry into the death of Scottish boxer Mike Towell, 25, has heard senior medics disagreed over his care after he collapsed in the ring.

An A&E consultant said he was “surprised and disappointed” surgeons felt they couldn’t operate, after being told the Dundee fighter had sustained an “unsurvivable injury”.

Ryan Connelly, 37, said Towell was “profoundly unconscious” when he arrived at the A&E department of Glasgow Royal Infirmary and was given a CT scan.

He said he left the scan to phone a surgeon because “if anything was going to save his life, it would be immediate neurosurgery”.

He said he pushed for Towell to be transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s neurosurgery intensive care unit.

Dr Christopher Greenhalgh also gave evidence that he tended to Towell immediately after he collapsed in the ring and travelled with him to hospital.

The doctors gave evidence for a second day at the probe into the fighter’s death at Glasgow Sheriff Court yesterday.

Towell died of a bleed on the brain the day after he lost a bout to Welsh fighter Dale Evans on September 29 2016.

“Iron” Mike collapsed following the British title eliminator bout staged at Glasgow’s St Andrews Sporting Club.

He was taken to hospital but died 24 hours later.

Dr Greenhalgh told how he entered the ring with Dr Ronald Sydney after the fight was stopped.

He said the boxer was conscious and knew where he was and what day it was and initially obeyed instructions.

Dr Greenhalgh said Towell’s head hung, he became unsteady and his speech incoherent, and when they lay him on the floor he did not respond and fell unconscious.

Mr Connelly said when Towell arrived, he decided to anaesthetise him and give him a brain scan.

He said: “I could see the scan myself.

“I was very quickly aware he had a significant injury to his brain.”

The inquiry heard Mr Connelly phoned the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which said it would phone him back.

He was told “it’s an unsurvivable injury he had and he would not be amenable to neurosurgery”.

Asked if he agreed, he said: “I was quite surprised and disappointed they didn’t feel this was something they could operate on.”

The inquiry continues.