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MAN: There are countless factors
that can lead to your death.
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As senior coroner,
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I deal with nearly 4,500 fatalities
a year.
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NARRATOR: The coroner
can make any inquiries necessary
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to find a cause of death.
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MAN: The police act
on behalf of the coroner.
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If the coroner asks, we do it.
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We need to be alert to the fact
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there could be something
more sinister in this.
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With unprecedented access, we follow
the coroner's full investigation...
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It does make you realise
how fragile life is.
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Let's start
and just work our way up.
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Forensic medicine is all about being
very suspicious.
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...from the moment
of arrival in the mortuary
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to the final conclusion
of the inquest.
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All rise.
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I'm sorry that you're attending
court under these circumstances,
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and I appreciate
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that the evidence that you will
hear today may be distressing.
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I never thought I'd find myself
in a coroner's court.
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You shouldn't have to organise
a funeral for your children.
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If you die here,
if it's violent, unnatural,
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or of an unknown cause,
it's my job to find out how.
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WHIRRING
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Police have been called
to a flat in Preston.
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A man is known to live there alone,
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and neighbours are concerned
about his welfare.
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The man has been found deceased.
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The man has been named as
63-year-old Raymond Rahamatally,
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and he has been transported to the
mortuary at Royal Preston Hospital.
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So, the police had reported to us
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that they'd received a call
from a concerned friend
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with regards to Raymond, that
they've not seen him for some time.
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Although all the circumstances,
details within the property
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directed them to believe
that it was Raymond,
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there was nobody that could do that
formal identification at the scene.
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Family had provided us
with some photographs of Raymond.
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However,
they were from some time ago,
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from when he was quite young,
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so we couldn't actually use
those photographs
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for the formal identification.
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So they've agreed
to come to the mortuary today
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to do that
formal identification for us.
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This will be clone behind glass,
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and that's purely clue
to the circumstances
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of how he's been found.
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This will be quite difficult.
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It's trying to explain
to the family now
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the next stages of the process
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so we can then confirm
what he's died from.
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Today is to help us with
the formal identification. Mm-hm.
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He looks like he's sleeping,
but just to be mindful,
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there are some marks
around his chin area,
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I think they're like sores, probably
in keeping with his skin condition,
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but just to make you aware,
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there are some marks
around the mouth area
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and the chin. Is that OK?
Yeah.
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Are you all right to go through?
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Raymond's family last saw him
around three weeks ago.
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OK.
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So, can you confirm
that that is Raymond?
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It is Raymond, yes.
It is? OK. Yeah.
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Do we know what the marks are
around his mouth at all?
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I'm not quite sure.
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They look like sores, so whether
it's part of his skin condition,
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whether he's fallen...
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Do you know...
What was his mobility like?
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He could walk, but obviously...
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I don't know if you've seen
his legs.
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The police did say that his legs
were very bad... Yes.
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...with the ulcers. They'd been
like that for a long time.
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Bizarre, cos he didn't have anything
like that when we last saw him.
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He did have a little sore
sort of around his eye,
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but there was nothing
around his mouth at all.
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Coroner's officer manager Alice
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needs to find out as much as she can
about Raymond from his family
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to begin the investigation
into his death.
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Did he drink at all?
No.
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No drink, no drugs, didn't smoke?
No, nothing, no.
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There is a family history
of heart problems as well.
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OK. What heart problems?
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My mother's parents
died quite young.
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I think they were in their 40s,
early 50s.
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Ancl that was heart failure?
Yes.
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OK.
It was, yes.
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His grandparents?
Grandma's sisters as well.
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They all died young.
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Oh, yeah, my mother's sister died...
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So, there's a history of...
..at about 36.
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...heart disease within the family?
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So what we'll do is now,
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I'll process this through
to the coroner,
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I'll confirm that the formal
identification has taken place.
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They“ then authoflse
a CT post-modem,
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and as soon as I get
any results through,
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I'll give you a call, let you know.
Thanks very much for your help.
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So, at this moment in time,
we don't know how he's cited.
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All we know are the circumstances
of when he was last seen
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by neighbours, by family.
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They did comment, though, about
family history of heart conditions.
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So I'll make a note of that
to the coroner,
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but also for the radiologist,
for when they're reviewing the scan,
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so they can maybe look more
particular around the heart area
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to see if there's
an underlying heart condition
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they weren't aware he had.
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We just don't know
at this moment in time.
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Sometimes, it is a bit weird
if you're the first one in,
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everywhere's dark,
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and obviously, doing it for so long,
you just get used to it.
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So, we open everywhere up first,
open the shutter,
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all the doors, office doors.
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We'll go into the fridge room
and see who's come in overnight,
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start to measure them up for
coffin sizes and things like that.
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I suppose if you thought about it
too much,
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how many people are in the fridge,
it could almost upset you a bit,
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and I suppose, for some people,
that might scare them a bit
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cos there's so many people
in here that have passed away.
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But I just see it that
I'm just looking after them,
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and I'm looking after the ones that
have then come into us overnight,
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and make sure
that everybody's in the condition
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that they should be
for the start of the clay.
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NARRATOR: The coroner
has opened up an investigation
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into a man found deceased
in his flat
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who hadn't been seen by his family
for almost three weeks.
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Raymond Rahamatally
was a 63-year-old gentleman
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who lived alone, and he was
last seen around Christmas time.
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However, his neighbour
raised a concern for his welfare
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because she'd seen that
the light in his flat had been on
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since New Year,
and it was now the 12th ofjanuary.
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So police attended
for a welfare call
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and found Mr Rahamatally
deceased inside.
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What they have noted
when they were checking Raymond
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was that the lower part of his legs
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and his feet had sores on them,
a bit like ulcers,
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that obviously caused
a bit of concern, because the...
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His trousers had actually stuck
to those sores on his legs.
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So, the family stated
that Raymond suffered with 0CD,
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washed his hands a lot, which caused
the skin to become red and itchy.
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They also confirmed
he had circulatory problems
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and the condition
with the lower part of his legs,
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which looked a bit like ulcers.
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Ancl he was a bit of a recluse,
kept himself to himself,
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and he's not wanted
to accept any help or support
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from any of his neighbours,
family or the GP.
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So what we'll do is,
we'll process this
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through to the coroner
for a CT post-mortem.
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The coroner may request
for an invasive post-mortem.
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We're not quite sure at this time,
so we'll wait and see what happens.
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We saw Raymond at Christmas,
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and we went round again
in the new year,
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but we couldn't get an answer.
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Raymond was kind of
a reclusive character.
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Not easy to talk to,
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very insular.
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We always knew he kind of had issues
and difficulties.
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Sometimes,
he didn't answer his door, though,
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when we went round,
so we just thought,
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"Well, we'll call back in
a couple of weeks, see how he is."
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But we didn't get to call back
in a couple of weeks, no.
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I'd like to know exactly
what's happened and why it happened.
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At the end of the clay, I need
the facts. I'd like the facts.
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A post-mortem CT scan
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may provide answers
to the cause of Raymond's death.
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But before the scan takes place,
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there needs
to be an external examination.
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So, I've got Raymond.
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Mm-hm. Yeah.
Right wrist. OK.
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Pacemaker?
None seen.
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Hypostasis?
Posterior.
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Yes.
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Skin slip to lower legs,
right arm.
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So, around his eyes and nose,
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he's got, like, this white material.
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OK.
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Dry, flaky skin
to the whole of the body,
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and some cracking
to the skin on the hands.
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Extensive ulcerated areas.
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Just some pictures, yeah.
Yeah, do photos, yeah? Please.
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Just take a closer one of his legs.
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The photos are just good
for them to look at
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if they're in a bit of a bad way.
His legs are quite bad.
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It's important we've got
the picture as well as, you know,
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the description on the external.
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Raymond was a very individual type.
Very much into rock and roll.
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But a really big, big fan
of football.
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Used to go a lot with his father
to Preston North End,
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and he played as well.
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Ancl Raymond was excellent
at football.
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He had a real hardcore dream
of playing for Preston North End
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and did go for trials
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and was heavily involved
in the younger team.
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He was very good,
so much so that on one occasion,
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there was an international match
at Preston North End.
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Apparently, Raymond scored
the winning goal.
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And what we had round
at our house afterwards
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was quite a large group of,
in the majority, girls
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all shouting Raymond's name
in the street for him to come down.
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I remember my mother saying,
"Oh, you know, make them go away,
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"they're annoying the neighbours!"
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He did believe
that he was on the road
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to something
that he really wanted to do.
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Raymond, he was about 17, 18,
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he injured his knee quite badly,
and, unfortunately,
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he failed the trial
for Preston North End
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when he went for it.
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Ancl when they turned him down,
that was...
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That kind of finished him, really.
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And he got an ofter
from Blackburn Rovers,
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so it wasn't as though
he wasn't good enough full stop.
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For him, it was Preston or nothing,
really.
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After that, he sort of lost his way
a little bit.
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He had a few jobs but didn't
really take to anything at all.
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I think that was the start of him
becoming quite isolated, really,
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within himself.
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A post-mortem CT scan may help to
understand Raymond's cause of death.
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So, we're gonna start
by doing a full body scan.
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We're looking for anything
glaringly obvious as we go.
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So, initially,
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there doesn't appear to be anything
obvious going on in his head,
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or any sort of ruptures of his aorta
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or anything like that that could
have been a clear cause of death.
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Looking down at his legs, you can
see there's some skin changes.
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So, there is something going on
with his lower legs, I would say.
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So, you can sort of
see the difference.
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The area above the knee,
you can see the border of the skin
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00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:28,975
is nice and smooth, and that's what
we'd normally expect to see.
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And as we come down
into the lower legs,
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you can sort of see the texture
changes quite dramatically.
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There only appears to be
a small amount of calcium
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within the heart,
there's a tiny little speck here.
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You can see the area of white
within the coronary artery.
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That's the calcification there.
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We will, however, get all these
sent on to our radiologist,
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who will put together a final report
to send on to the coroner.
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Police are en route to an address in
Preston following an emergency call.
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At about quarter to six
this morning,
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Lancashire Police receive a call
from an address in Preston.
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There is the body of a male,
a shotgun
239
00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:54,895
and several rounds of ammunition.
240
00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:56,615
And the ca“ ended.
241
00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:04,175
Given that very limited information,
242
00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:06,655
armed response officers
were deployed to the address.
243
00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:17,175
And quite quickly,
a white male was found deceased
244
00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:18,655
in a rear outbuilding.
245
00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,495
At this moment in time,
the male remains in situ,
246
00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:36,095
as does the firearm.
247
00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:39,375
The first priority this morning
is to ensure that firearm is safe,
248
00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:41,255
to enable it to be removed.
249
00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:45,375
It is quite shocking
to receive that type of call.
250
00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:50,215
I'm on duty cover today, I actually
got the phone call at home,
251
00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:52,015
and it does affect you a little bit.
252
00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:54,215
He's a man of similar age to me.
253
00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:05,455
The man has been transported to the
mortuary at Royal Preston Hospital
254
00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,775
and the case referred
to the coroners' office.
255
00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:10,775
RINGING
256
00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:12,455
'Hello, Alice.'
257
00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:14,815
I just want to run a case past you,
if that's OK?
258
00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:16,735
'Sure.'
We received a referral
259
00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:19,335
from the police
with regards to a gentleman.
260
00:17:19,360 --> 00:17:23,015
He'd contacted them yesterday
with concerns for his welfare,
261
00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:24,375
and when police have got there,
262
00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,615
they found him deceased
with a shotgun next to him.
263
00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:30,615
I'm going to be processing it
through for an external examination.
264
00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:35,015
'If they can check for bruising
on the back of the thumb,
265
00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:37,295
'because when the shotgun kicks,
there's usually bruising
266
00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:38,615
'on one side of the thumb.
267
00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:40,095
'So if they could check for that,
268
00:17:40,120 --> 00:17:42,655
'it's a sign that
he was using the shotgun himself.'
269
00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:45,695
That's no problem. I'll process that
through now for authorisation.
270
00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:47,895
'Fine, OK.'
Thank you very much.
271
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,255
The next stage now
will be to open up an investigation,
272
00:17:56,280 --> 00:18:00,575
where we'll start making inquiries
with regards to the circumstances -
273
00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:02,055
what's led to what's happened.
274
00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:03,535
We'll speak to his family,
275
00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,255
and we'll also contact
the relevant agencies involved.
276
00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:10,935
The family have agreed
for his story to be told
277
00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:13,895
but want him to remain anonymous.
278
00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:18,135
His friend has agreed for his words
to be read by an actor.
279
00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:22,855
I had a message saying "call me"
from his next door neighbour.
280
00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:25,175
And then I said
"OK, I'll come over."
281
00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:29,495
And then I looked online
very quickly
282
00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:34,655
and I saw that the police had
attended an incident of a shooting.
283
00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:41,055
As soon as I got that message,
I knew he had left us.
284
00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:49,015
Police have discovered
285
00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:53,855
the man was an army veteran
with over 30 years' service.
286
00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:58,095
I've just been to this address
where this incident's taken place.
287
00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:04,455
He was clearly very proud
of serving in the armed forces.
288
00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:06,935
He's got lots of memorabilia,
289
00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:10,175
he's got replica firearms
on his wall as ornaments.
290
00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:13,975
He's got certificates from
all over the world where he's served
291
00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:16,775
and represented the country
in the armed forces.
292
00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:22,495
He was a great soldier,
and he loved it.
293
00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:26,375
He was military through and through.
294
00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:30,095
He was in just about every war zone
you could think of.
295
00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:33,295
He was in Northern Ireland,
he was in Bosnia,
296
00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:36,015
he was in Afghanistan,
he was in the Gulf War.
297
00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:39,455
Everywhere there was something
going on, he was there.
298
00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:46,095
Whether you call it conflict
or whether you call it war,
299
00:19:46,120 --> 00:19:48,015
it was a tough place to be.
300
00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:50,935
People lost friends and comrades,
301
00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:54,415
and that caused him a lot of
sleepless nights as a young soldier.
302
00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:01,415
The police will be looking to see
whether or not
303
00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:04,495
this is someone acting alone...
304
00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:10,215
...or whether
there are other people involved,
305
00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:12,455
and in what way
they might be involved.
306
00:20:29,120 --> 00:20:32,215
NARRATOR: The coroner's office
has been investigating the case
307
00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:37,935
of 63-year-old Raymond Rahamatally,
who was found deceased at home.
308
00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:41,015
They've been able to examine
his medical records.
309
00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:45,335
Raymond Rahamatally
has a past history
310
00:20:45,360 --> 00:20:47,975
of a significant skin condition
311
00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,855
which may or may not
become infected.
312
00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:53,215
He has some heart disease,
313
00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:57,735
and he also has some fairly
minor mental health issues.
314
00:20:57,760 --> 00:20:59,775
But at the moment,
315
00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:03,215
it's uncertain as to how any of
these bear upon the cause of death.
316
00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:12,255
Raymond also had a history
of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
317
00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:15,975
In his case,
this led to excessive hand washing.
318
00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,975
Raymond's had OCD
for a long, long time,
319
00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:24,215
certainly the washing of his hands,
because his hands become quite sore,
320
00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:28,615
because he used to wash them
about 20, 30, 40 times a clay maybe.
321
00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:30,295
About half an hour
he'd spend in the toilet
322
00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:31,735
continually washing his hands.
323
00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,255
It was really bad, erm...
324
00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:38,615
where his skin
would become quite raw and split.
325
00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:40,575
So he'd get a lot of lacerations,
326
00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:43,455
just because the skin
had been excessively washed.
327
00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:48,095
So it was a compulsive disorder,
for definite.
328
00:21:48,120 --> 00:21:51,455
Telling him to get it looked out
or get treatment or, you know,
329
00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:54,215
that he had an issue,
it was just a non-starter.
330
00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:55,855
It was completely off topic.
331
00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:03,495
Mental health and physical health
are interrelated.
332
00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:07,495
So if you have got long-term
conditions that affect your health,
333
00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:11,895
you're quite likely to suffer from
a mental health condition as well.
334
00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:17,535
But equally, if you have got mental
health issues such as depression,
335
00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:22,255
the risk of diabetes,
stroke or heart disease also rises.
336
00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:26,095
So, these are interlinked,
and how they affect different people
337
00:22:26,120 --> 00:22:30,535
depends upon the severity of their
mental or physical health disease.
338
00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:33,455
Yeah, it's just sad.
339
00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:37,215
The idea that's how he's been found
in that kind of manner on his own,
340
00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:38,335
when he...
341
00:22:38,360 --> 00:22:41,455
There could have been interventions
or things that can be done
342
00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:45,375
if he'd been more willing
to accept the issues he had, really.
343
00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:48,735
Fairly important that we find out.
344
00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:50,535
There was multiple issues,
345
00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,295
and to kind of get it
clearly defined,
346
00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:56,815
exactly what was the cause
of him passing away,
347
00:22:56,840 --> 00:22:59,535
that kind of provides some closure
at least.
348
00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:05,935
To help establish a cause of death,
349
00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:10,855
Raymond's post-mortem CT scan
is being assessed by a radiologist.
350
00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:12,735
There's a history of heart disease,
351
00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:17,335
and there is also marked skin
problems involving his lower legs.
352
00:23:17,360 --> 00:23:18,495
They were both oozing.
353
00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:22,895
This is the skin,
it's all ulcerated and thickened.
354
00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:26,455
So, this would raise the possibility
of an underlying septicaemia
355
00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:28,735
following his skin condition
in his legs
356
00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:31,495
as being a possible cause of death.
357
00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:34,735
Although we don't know
whether he was septic beforehand,
358
00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:37,695
we don't know if anybody's seen him,
whether he was high temperature,
359
00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:39,255
whether he was sweating,
360
00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:41,735
whether showing signs of sepsis
at all.
361
00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:44,575
Now, the only other thing
that we can see on the scan
362
00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:47,375
is he does have some calcium
in his coronary artery,
363
00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:51,775
which could lead to a significant
narrowing. It's only small.
364
00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:54,375
But I note there is a family history
of heart disease.
365
00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:56,375
So the question here would be,
366
00:23:56,400 --> 00:24:01,415
has he had a fatal cardiac event
related to heart failure,
367
00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:06,335
or has he died of septicaemia
clue to his leg condition?
368
00:24:06,360 --> 00:24:10,095
Ancl so, therefore,
an invasive post-mortem
369
00:24:10,120 --> 00:24:11,855
might help to decide
370
00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:14,775
which condition is more likely to
have to have led to Raymond's death.
371
00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:25,415
The coroner is also investigating
the death of a military veteran
372
00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:28,855
who was found deceased at home
with fatal injuries.
373
00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:34,455
You are looking for, has there
been any disruption of the scene,
374
00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:37,295
any alteration to the evidence?
375
00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:39,935
You're also looking
to see whether there is
376
00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:42,615
any bruising on the thumb
of the dominant hand.
377
00:24:47,360 --> 00:24:49,695
It's the duty
of the coroner's office
378
00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:53,975
to update the man's next of kin
on the next steps of his case.
379
00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:58,135
I'm just calling to let you know
that I've spoken with the coroner
380
00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:00,415
and we're doing
an external examination
381
00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:01,855
to determine cause of death.
382
00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:06,695
It should be clone
in the next couple of clays.
383
00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:10,575
So as soon as the coroner
authorises the results
384
00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:12,295
of the external examination,
385
00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:14,575
we'll then be able to send
the release paperwork through
386
00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:16,895
to the funeral directors.
387
00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:19,095
I'll be in touch. Bye-bye.
388
00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:23,215
A pathologist
has been asked to carry out
389
00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:27,095
an external examination
to prepare a report for the coroner.
390
00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:30,135
We're not going to look
at the internal organs.
391
00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:32,455
We're just going to look at
the outside of the body
392
00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:34,815
to examine the wounds that he has.
393
00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:38,615
And we've got a fit man.
394
00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:41,815
He has DNR tattooed on his chest.
395
00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:43,695
DNR meaning, I assume,
396
00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,975
"do not resuscitate",
so that's interesting.
397
00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:53,175
Let's start at the bottom
and just work our way up.
398
00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:56,215
So, feet are good.
399
00:25:56,240 --> 00:26:00,535
Legs. No marks or injuries.
400
00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:01,935
Working my WaY UP-
401
00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:04,455
We don't know
if he's right or left-handed,
402
00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:06,935
so we're going to assume
that he's right.
403
00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:08,855
But we're going to check
the left thumb as well.
404
00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:13,255
What I'm looking for now is bruising
that may be around the thumb.
405
00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:16,455
Neither of the thumbs
has any injury to it.
406
00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:20,575
So, we're working up to his head.
407
00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:23,855
His head...
We've got blood in the ears.
408
00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:28,895
There's a 17cm laceration.
409
00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:33,135
We've got fragmentation
and an obvious cause of death.
410
00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:38,535
The worst thing would be to think
411
00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:41,455
that there's a family out there
not getting the answers
412
00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:43,815
to the questions they've got
in their heads.
413
00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:48,375
It is nice knowing that
we are a part of the process
414
00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:51,415
of the family
then being able to grieve
415
00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:54,375
once they've got the answers
to their questions.
416
00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:57,975
It is really sad.
417
00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:00,575
It does make you realise
how fragile life is.
418
00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:09,135
Detective Inspector Steve Monk
419
00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:13,375
is investigating the circumstances
around the man's death.
420
00:27:15,120 --> 00:27:18,575
It's very rare,
certainly within my experience,
421
00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:22,815
to deal with incidents
where somebody has shot them self.
422
00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:27,575
This is probably only
my second or third in 26 years.
423
00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:32,175
He's left a note to the police,
424
00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:35,415
actually apologising
for what they were gonna find,
425
00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:39,735
and making reference
that he struggled on Civvy Street
426
00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:41,575
once he'd left the army.
427
00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:46,575
He'd even taken his TVs off the wall
and placed them in his conservatory.
428
00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:49,295
He'd even sorted a funeral plan.
429
00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:51,655
It would appear, at this stage,
430
00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:54,575
to be a very tragic set
of circumstances.
431
00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:01,095
Former soldier Ray Howard
432
00:28:01,120 --> 00:28:05,495
offers help to ex-service personnel
who are struggling.
433
00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:09,495
There's a link on there
where you can find employment.
434
00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:13,055
His support
is based on his own experience.
435
00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:18,455
I served 22 years in the army,
a few years in Northern Ireland,
436
00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:20,855
and I was also in the Gulf War,
437
00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:26,095
which is where I contracted PTSD
through active service.
438
00:28:26,120 --> 00:28:30,095
Incidents occurred that
I don't really wish to remember,
439
00:28:30,120 --> 00:28:33,935
but I can't forget,
which is what PTSD really is.
440
00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:39,095
PTSD will manifest itself in
different ways in different people.
441
00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:41,015
You'll be angry.
442
00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:45,415
You can sometimes think you're
looking at yourself from above,
443
00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:48,175
thinking, "Why am I doing this,
why am I doing that?"
444
00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:49,855
Ancl you've got no reason,
no answer for it.
445
00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:56,015
The military veteran
is being collected from the mortuary
446
00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:57,655
for his funeral.
447
00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:01,615
In my mind,
it was when he got back from Bosnia.
448
00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:05,415
You look out for signs anyway,
449
00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:09,095
but it was when I said to him,
"How was Bosnia?"
450
00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:11,775
And he said,
"Oh, yeah, it didn't affect me."
451
00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:16,095
And I saw his hand shaking
a little bit.
452
00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:18,615
I knew straightaway
something had happened.
453
00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:23,655
I'm not sure that he was ever
diagnosed with PTSD from a doctor,
454
00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:26,415
but I think that you could see
that there was something not right.
455
00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:32,455
He couldn't adapt to society,
he couldn't find that balance.
456
00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:37,175
So I think it was adapting
to society that was destroying him.
457
00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:48,535
The coroner has received
the pathologist's report
458
00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:52,455
from the post-mortem examination
of the former soldier.
459
00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:55,455
From Dr Shepherd's findings,
460
00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:59,335
it appears that the gentleman
was acting alone,
461
00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:04,055
that this is an unnatural death,
and this will proceed to an inquest.
462
00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:13,295
It's just a very, very sad...
a sad story, really.
463
00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:17,135
Ancl one of the turning points
in his life
464
00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:19,895
was his dog very sadly passed away
the back end of last year,
465
00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:22,095
and he said he just couldn't cope
without his dog.
466
00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:25,575
At the forefront
467
00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,095
of all the armed forces memorabilia
on his wall,
468
00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:31,335
in prime position, is what
I would describe as a dog collar.
469
00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:36,975
MALE FRIEND: He would say to me
that the only reason he's alive
470
00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:38,375
is because of his dog.
471
00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:45,655
He phoned me in 2023
because his dog had died.
472
00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:50,975
He was grieving like you would
if you lost your own child.
473
00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:52,215
In a letter he sent me,
474
00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:55,415
he actually said that he hadn't
expected his dog to die so soon.
475
00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:00,335
I don't think there was anything
I could have done.
476
00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:09,335
The coroner
has also been investigating
477
00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:12,975
the death of 63-year-old
Raymond Rahamatally,
478
00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:16,495
who lived alone and hadn't been seen
by his family
479
00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:18,255
for nearly three weeks.
480
00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:20,855
How old was he there?
He'd been 18, I'd have thought.
481
00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:23,935
I think in that one he's about,
ooh, 17-ish.
482
00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:27,335
He was very much into rock and roll.
That was the look, at the time.
483
00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:29,375
The Freddie Mercury era, and Queen,
484
00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:32,135
and all the other rock groups
that were around at the time.
485
00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:33,935
He grew his hair,
so he looked very similar
486
00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:36,535
to some of the guys in the...
Oh, the rockers, yeah.
487
00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:40,255
...in the rock band as well.
Often, he just wouldn't let us in.
488
00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:42,815
So it wasn't even like
there'd be an invite into the flat.
489
00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:45,295
It was just kind of
we'd be at the door, say,
490
00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:47,975
"Hi, how are you doing?"
He wouldn't say, "Oh, come in."
491
00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:50,895
You couldn't, anyway.
It was a bit of a state.
492
00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:53,815
It was literally like, "ls there
anything we can do for you?"
493
00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:55,535
"No, no. I'm all right."
Ancl that was it.
494
00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:58,615
If someone is refusing help
495
00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:01,375
or doesn't believe
there's anything wrong with them,
496
00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:05,335
is it perhaps the right thing to do
to force help on them?
497
00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:08,975
It's a very difficult one.
Very difficult.
498
00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:18,295
There are a range of reasons
why people do not accept help.
499
00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:22,135
It may be that that is
the make-up of their personality,
500
00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:25,135
it may be that they have
a mental health condition
501
00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:28,935
that prevents them engaging with it.
502
00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:34,455
Others, it may be ignorance
of the availability of health care.
503
00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:37,455
These cases are very sad
504
00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:43,095
because despite however much people
love this person,
505
00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:46,095
they will not accept the help
that's offered to them,
506
00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:50,175
even though it seems obvious
to everybody around them
507
00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:52,455
that they absolutely need
this assistance.
508
00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:00,895
Raymond was reclusive,
509
00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:04,135
and neighbours raised concerns
for his welfare.
510
00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:08,855
With no clear cause of death
revealed by his post-mortem CT scan,
511
00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:13,495
the coroner has asked for
a limited invasive post-mortem.
512
00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:16,415
My question is,
can I find anything
513
00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:21,335
that will advance the information
that we've got from the CT autopsy
514
00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:24,455
and provide
a more substantive cause of death
515
00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:26,735
and also exclude
the coroner's concerns
516
00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:29,775
in terms of neglect or sepsis?
517
00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:34,935
165cm, weight 66kg.
518
00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:38,775
There are no signs of trauma
or violence. Stop.
519
00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:43,455
Ancl this gentleman has obviously
quite a severe skin infection.
520
00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:46,415
It's very difficult where
the skin is constantly cracking,
521
00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:50,815
and those cracks are
a perfect portal for bacteria.
522
00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:54,415
Ancl it's entirely possible
that infections from his skin
523
00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:56,015
will have travelled
through his blood
524
00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:58,655
and may have set up an abscess
somewhere else in his body
525
00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:02,375
which may have contributed
to his confusion.
526
00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:06,695
So, at the moment, there's no sign
of any pus collections
527
00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:08,135
in the chest or the abdomen.
528
00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:12,215
So, the CT scan is showing that
there was some calcification
529
00:34:12,240 --> 00:34:14,575
in the coronary arteries,
the heart -
530
00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:16,935
that's the blood vessels
which supply the heart -
531
00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:18,895
but it doesn't give you
the same view as you as you get
532
00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:21,175
if you're actually
holding the heart and dissecting out
533
00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:22,535
the coronary arteries.
534
00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:24,455
So I'm gonna check that now.
535
00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:27,895
I can see the calcification,
which was noted at the CT scan.
536
00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:31,775
There's quite a significant
narrowing of the coronary artery,
537
00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:33,855
probably about 80%.
538
00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:38,255
Blood would find it probably
difficult to go past that,
539
00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:41,135
and that could be
the cause of death.
540
00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:45,015
One of the major functions of doing
an autopsy is helping relatives.
541
00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:48,735
What we can do is help the families
with answering questions.
542
00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:51,815
We can help the families
with perhaps genetic diseases.
543
00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:54,215
If we find a case
of unexplained death
544
00:34:54,240 --> 00:34:56,535
which we suspect might be clue
to cardiac problems,
545
00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:58,895
then we will chase that down
546
00:34:58,920 --> 00:35:01,415
and make sure
that the relatives are screened.
547
00:35:01,440 --> 00:35:04,735
It's very important that
we provide as much information
548
00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:08,415
in an understandable format
to the families as we can.
549
00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:11,255
It is important that we find out.
550
00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:14,455
If it's anything that is hereditary,
551
00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:17,055
obviously with the heart disease
from my grandma's side,
552
00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:20,135
or if it was purely
a skin condition
553
00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:23,975
that kind of got to a point
where he'd let that go so badly,
554
00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:27,015
then that was the main cause
of him passing away, really.
555
00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:30,655
We have some samples for toxicology.
556
00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:31,935
I'd just like to check those
557
00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:35,415
to find out whether
he was taking any pain medication
558
00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:38,535
or any other
over-the-counter prescriptions.
559
00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:42,015
His obvious problems with his legs
were not being addressed,
560
00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:44,375
they weren't surgically dressed.
561
00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:48,775
Ancl he may well have had
a low level of sepsis,
562
00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:51,535
which would have challenged him
physiologically.
563
00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:54,415
So, I'm just balancing those up
at the moment in my head
564
00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:57,295
and just trying to think about what
the best way of formulating this is.
565
00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:01,735
Before Professor Dawson
can produce a final report
566
00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:05,735
for the coroner to help provide
the family with answers,
567
00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:09,175
he will need the results
of the toxicology testing.
568
00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:13,015
Professor Dawson,
having clone the post-mortem,
569
00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:17,855
says that he has never seen the like
of this gentleman's skin complaint.
570
00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:19,615
It's extremely serious,
571
00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:23,655
it's very septic,
it's very infected,
572
00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:28,455
and he has said that he possibly
would have been confused.
573
00:36:28,480 --> 00:36:30,415
Now, the difficulty we have
574
00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:34,375
is that he could also have been
taking over-the-counter medication
575
00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:36,295
that added to his confusion.
576
00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:40,535
Because there's a concern here
as to why,
577
00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:45,135
given the severity of the infection
of his legs, he didn't seek help.
578
00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:47,495
So toxicology's necessary
579
00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:50,335
to see if there was anything else
in his system
580
00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:52,535
that was affecting
the state of his mind.
581
00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:11,695
It's the day of
the military veteran's inquest.
582
00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:16,895
So, we've received a statement
from the Ministry of Defence.
583
00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:19,255
That was following an email
that I'd sent to them
584
00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:21,615
requesting for his records.
585
00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:23,255
So, what they've said
586
00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:26,575
is that he served with the army
for 34 years.
587
00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:29,455
His performance
was nothing short than exemplary.
588
00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:32,015
He was awarded various medals
and awards,
589
00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:34,095
he was a seasoned all-rounder
590
00:37:34,120 --> 00:37:38,695
who had traits of an old solider
who digs in and makes things happen.
591
00:37:47,720 --> 00:37:49,215
WOMAN: All rise.
592
00:37:56,000 --> 00:38:00,295
Can I just say how sorry I am that
you're attending court this morning
593
00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:02,895
under these circumstances?
594
00:38:02,920 --> 00:38:07,535
The major finding was the injury
caused by the discharge of a gun
595
00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:11,935
that clearly caused
an immediately fatal injury.
596
00:38:11,960 --> 00:38:16,535
I couldn't find any evidence
of any injury elsewhere on the body,
597
00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:20,975
and there was no injury to suggest
that anyone else had been involved.
598
00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:26,215
The evidence that he intended
to take his own life
599
00:38:26,240 --> 00:38:29,975
included contacting the police,
the letters that he left,
600
00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:33,375
and the positioning
and the use of the shotgun.
601
00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:37,055
This is a tragic death of a solider
602
00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:40,415
who obviously had
a very distinguished army career
603
00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:45,495
and, after leaving, had difficulty
adjusting to civilian life.
604
00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:49,295
The cause of death in this case
is that of a shotgun wound.
605
00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:01,575
Maybe something can be done
in service before somebody leaves
606
00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:03,335
so there's better training,
I suppose,
607
00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:07,735
for the outside world to understand,
to a certain extent,
608
00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:11,175
the characteristics of soldiers
and what they're doing.
609
00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:12,975
Leaving one disciplined service,
610
00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:15,575
coming out into a world
which is completely different
611
00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:16,815
to what they've known.
612
00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:19,415
And I think
if people could just understand,
613
00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:21,695
then they might start to look
at people like him
614
00:39:21,720 --> 00:39:24,375
and say, "Right, what can we do?"
615
00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:32,575
Latest figures show
there were more than 250 suicides
616
00:39:32,600 --> 00:39:36,455
amongst UK armed forces veterans
in just one year.
617
00:39:37,720 --> 00:39:40,855
Ray Howard founded the Facebook site
618
00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:44,215
Suicides Amongst Veterans
Everywhere.
619
00:39:44,240 --> 00:39:46,495
We have 1.2K members.
620
00:39:46,520 --> 00:39:49,095
95% of those are veterans.
621
00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:51,455
The rest are families of,
or friends.
622
00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:55,655
We have a chat line on here,
it's open 24 hours.
623
00:39:55,680 --> 00:39:58,655
Ancl if somebody calls, I'll speak
to them until they're happy.
624
00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:02,335
It could be five minutes,
could be four hours.
625
00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:06,175
If it helps one person
from harming them self
626
00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:08,695
or gets them out of a depression,
then that's job clone.
627
00:40:08,720 --> 00:40:10,895
That's all we're here for.
628
00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:24,015
Before his death, the former soldier
had organised his own funeral.
629
00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:30,295
MALE FRIEND: I was grateful
in my life to have him as my friend.
630
00:40:30,320 --> 00:40:33,415
He was the kindest person
you'd ever wanna meet.
631
00:40:33,440 --> 00:40:36,375
And he said thank you in his letter
to me for being his friend,
632
00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:38,095
and that meant a lot.
633
00:40:40,520 --> 00:40:42,775
He might have left
in the physical sense,
634
00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:46,055
but he's very much alive in my mind.
635
00:40:46,080 --> 00:40:49,495
And he will be, you know, forever.
636
00:41:03,200 --> 00:41:06,935
The coroner has also
been investigating the death
637
00:41:06,960 --> 00:41:09,535
of 63-year-old Raymond Rahamatally.
638
00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:11,655
Toxicology's been returned,
639
00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:14,095
and although it has detected
some substances,
640
00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:18,495
none of them would have caused
sedation or confusion.
641
00:41:18,520 --> 00:41:23,055
So that does not form any
further part of our investigations.
642
00:41:30,560 --> 00:41:33,415
So the cause of death
is the cardiac disease,
643
00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:35,775
the narrowing
of the coronary arteries,
644
00:41:35,800 --> 00:41:38,935
and severe ichthyosis
in the lower leg,
645
00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:41,735
which is a drying and cracking
of the skin
646
00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:43,695
that allows infection in,
647
00:41:43,720 --> 00:41:47,735
causing sepsis that is sufficient
to have caused confusion.
648
00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:52,455
So this gentleman may not
have understood the significance
649
00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:54,815
of the illness that was facing him
650
00:41:54,840 --> 00:41:58,695
and may not have sought help
in his final clays,
651
00:41:58,720 --> 00:42:02,495
because of this infection
clouding his judgement.
652
00:42:21,560 --> 00:42:24,375
Hi, Selima, it's Alice Swarbrick,
coroners' officer.
653
00:42:24,400 --> 00:42:27,975
So, we've got the post-mortem report
back for Raymond,
654
00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:32,375
and the cause of death that's come
back is coronary artery disease
655
00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:37,055
and severe septic
lower leg ichthyosis, untreated.
656
00:42:37,080 --> 00:42:39,335
So that's the condition he had
in his lower legs.
657
00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:41,535
UK?
658
00:42:41,560 --> 00:42:44,535
But what the coroner
has asked me to talk to you about
659
00:42:44,560 --> 00:42:47,855
is that family
maybe seek some medical advice
660
00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:49,095
to get an assessment
661
00:42:49,120 --> 00:42:50,935
to see whether
there's any hereditary
662
00:42:50,960 --> 00:42:53,135
or genetic related disease.
663
00:42:54,320 --> 00:42:56,655
OK? So, that is a...
664
00:42:56,680 --> 00:42:59,495
a natural cause of death now,
that's going to be signed off.
665
00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:01,855
There's no more involvement
for the coroner.
666
00:43:01,880 --> 00:43:04,935
So you can now make an appointment
with the registrars
667
00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:07,255
so you can get
that final death certificate.
668
00:43:08,560 --> 00:43:10,895
Thank you. Take care.
669
00:43:10,920 --> 00:43:12,615
Bye-bye.
670
00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:28,215
When I did hear
that Raymond had passed,
671
00:43:28,240 --> 00:43:30,855
I thought, "Well, at least
he's not got any problems now."
672
00:43:34,360 --> 00:43:38,575
The main thing that I thought was,
"Well, at least now he's with Dad."
673
00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:43,535
Because my father always wanted him
to be looked after.
674
00:43:45,120 --> 00:43:47,295
Ancl I do believe
that life continues.
675
00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:51,495
There is far, far more for us all,
for everybody,
676
00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:54,935
whether people believe or not.
This isn't the end.
677
00:44:22,720 --> 00:44:27,535
A section on the outside
of the left ear has been removed.
678
00:44:27,560 --> 00:44:30,135
We need to sort out
what the sequence of events are,
679
00:44:30,160 --> 00:44:33,095
because at the moment,
we don't know what's happened.
680
00:44:34,560 --> 00:44:36,215
She was such a young person.
681
00:44:36,240 --> 00:44:39,895
It's really hard
knowing that she's not here anymore.
682
00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:42,895
This is one that
I've never dealt with before
683
00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:44,575
and I hope I don't have to again.