Man choked to death on sausage sandwich (From Wirral Globe)

Man choked to death on sausage sandwich

10:02am Friday 13th February 2009 in News By Craig Manning

AN Upton man who was more than five times over the legal alcohol limit died after choking on a sandwich.

Joseph O’Driscoll, 55, was pronounced dead at Arrowe Park Hospital following the incident on December 4 last year.

Coroner’s officer Donald Johnston told an inquest at Wallasey Town Hall on Thursday that the computer manager had bought the sausage sandwich from a cafe in Ford Road, Upton, earlier that day.

He collapsed in the shop while eating it and despite resuscitation attempts by paramedics never regained consciousness.

Mr Johnston said: “The choking had been caused by alcohol intoxity and the food matter had to be removed by paramedics. The blood alcohol was in the acute range.”

A postmortem at Arrowe Park Hospital, conducted by Dr Krishnan Gumparthi, concluded that death was as a result of hypoxic brain injury and bronchial pneumonia due to choking on food and alcohol toxicity. Mr O’Driscoll’s body was identified by his wife, Theresa.

A toxicology examination revealed 453mg of alcohol per 100ml of alcohol, five-and-a-half times the legal limit for driving.

The inquest heard that Mr O'Driscoll had a history of problems with alcohol.

Coroner Christopher Johnson recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.