A VERDICT of accidental death has been recorded in the case of a 92-year-old man who developed coronavirus in hospital after being admitted following a fall at his home in Kinver.

Retired works engineer Harry Richardson was admitted to Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley on March 6 after falling at his home in Laburnum Close.

Already suffering from heart problems and lung cancer, Cradley-born Mr Richardson suffered a spinal fracture but during admission he developed respiratory symptoms.

A swab test for COVID-19 was carried out and he was found to have the virus.

Black Country coroner Zafar Siddique said Mr Richardson’s condition deteriorated - adding: “He sadly passed away on March 20.

“The family have been contacted and they said Mr Richardson was sometimes unsteady on his feet and he did have a number of falls.”

The court was told Mr Richardson’s heart had got weaker over the past six months and Mr Siddique said: “The family agree with the doctor that Harry died with COVID-19 as contributory factor but he didn’t die principally due to that.”

Mr Siddique said the cause of death was hospital acquired pneumonia due to the fracture as result of the fall and COVID-19 was given as a contributory factor along with frailty of old age and heart dysfunction.

The coroner offered his condolences to Mr Richardson’s family and friends and said: “Given the circumstances - the fall, the fracture and the rapid decline in his condition when he developed complications of hospital acquired pneumonia and also developed COVID-19 as a contributory factors and general frailty but all this arose because of the fall and the fracture so I going to formally conclude he died by way of an accidental death due to the initial fall.”