Preston North End fan suffered ‘non-survivable’ head injuries in double fall at home

Sports memorabilia collector Gary Mounsey, 55, was found on the floor six-and-a-half hours later by his flatmate with what a doctor described as "non-survivable" head injuries.

An inquest in Preston heard that CCTV inside the house showed Gary trying to go upstairs to bed only to fall back down.

After a few minutes he got back to his feet and tried again. But this time the cameras showed him tumble back and lay motionless at the foot of the stairs.

Assistant Coroner Kate Bissett concluded Gary's death had been a "terribly sad and tragic accident."

She was told that a police investigation was launched at the time because Gary was found with blunt force trauma injuries to both sides of his head.

Officers were initially suspicious, but when they later viewed camera footage from the top of the stairs they saw he had fallen twice.

DC Gary Brackley told the inquest: "He presented with injuries which weren't consistent with a single fall."

The police scanned CCTV footage of Gary leaving the Wellington pub in Ashton at around 12:15am after drinking there for most of the evening. He walked home to Beech Grove, arriving at 12:35am.

DC Brackley said it was obvious from the footage that he was "intoxicated" and unsteady on his feet.

Film from cameras inside the house showed him making an attempt to walk upstairs, but he fell back down.

"Five to six minutes later you see him stand up and attempt to walk upstairs again and he falls again," said the detective. "This time he didn't get up."

A consultant at the Royal Preston Hospital said Gary was in a "profound coma" when he examined him. Scans showed he had lots of bleeds within the brain and also fractures to the face. His brain injury was "non-survivable," he said.

Close family friend Nathan Hooper said Gary, who was separated from his wife, had suffered from mental health problems and sometimes things could get on top of him. But just prior to his death he had been "probably the best I had seen him for a long time."

"He had just had his birthday and he was happy. He was in a good period for him at the time."

Asked by the Assistant Coroner to sum him up he said: "He was just Gary. He was a complete character. He was just him.

"He was into football and horse racing. He was an avid North End fan and had been a season ticket holder most of his life. I called him my uncle - he was very special to me."

Elyes Bledi, the partner of one of Gary's three daughters, said he had started to see a psychiatrist and thought a lot of people were against him.

"But that wasn't the case," he said. "It was a bit sad. He didn't know how much love his family had for him, which was a shame.

"Things were moving forward, he had plans for his future, he was decorating his house and selling some of his antiques (collection).”

The Assistant Coroner added: “He didn’t know how much he was valued by his family and friends.”