Nicholas Davies's sore neck treatment death unlawful, inquest rules

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-29918784

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A Flintshire man who died after receiving treatment for a sore neck was unlawfully killed, an inquest has concluded.

Nicholas Lloyd Davies, 47, from Holywell, died five days after collapsing while being given a local anaesthetic injection by a doctor.

The hearing was told he would have recovered if he had received effective CPR.

Sanatha Weerarathna was to be charged with manslaughter, but died this year.

The doctor aged 80 stopped working for the NHS about 20 years ago, the hearing was told.

Mr Davies could have survived had the doctor called an ambulance immediately rather than ringing Mr Davies' brother, Tim, who arrived 10 minutes later and dialled 999 himself, the hearing was told.

John Gittins, the coroner for North Wales East and Central, recorded a conclusion of unlawful killing on Mr Davies, who worked in the family-owned garage at Lloc.

The hearing was told Mr Davies, a keen cyclist and squash player, called on Mr Weerarathna at his home in Sarn, near Holywell, on November 20 last year after complaining about a sore neck which restricted his movement.

Mr Weerarathna was known to the family as he was a customer at the garage and he had treated other members of their family.

Home Office pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers said the amount of medication injected was not lethal but, despite Dr Weerarathna's claims the needle went about half an inch into Mr Davies, it must have gone in about 2-3 inches and entered his spinal cord.

The drug then reached the brain which affected his heart and he died in hospital five days later.

"With effective CPR he would have been recoverable," said Dr Rodgers.

After the hearing, solicitor Mark Evans read a statement on behalf of the family saying "tragically this case highlights the need to go to registered and licensed medical practitioners for any help, and hopefully lessons will be learned."

It was the second tragedy to hit the family as Mr Davies' brother, Chris, 52, was killed while riding his motorbike in Holywell in August last year.