A PENSIONER who died of “trauma to the head” had fallen in a car park outside his home, an inquest heard.

David Broom, of Amesbury, died aged 71 on November 15, 2016 at the Queen Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth.

Senior Coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon David Ridley said on October 28 last year police attended the close where Mr Broom lived, after reports that a pedestrian had been hit by a car.

But when they arrived they discovered that Mr Broom had not been struck, but had fallen and hit his head.

A witness statement was read out from Ian Sainsbury, who had been with Mr Broom on the day he fell.

He said he had driven Mr Broom home from the King’s Arms pub in Amesbury at about 2pm that day, and that Mr Broom had not drunk any alcohol with their lunch at the pub.

Mr Sainsbury said: “Mr Broom used one walking stick and was always uneasy on his feet.

“After stopping the vehicle, Mr Broom opened the front door and got out of the vehicle. The next thing, when I looked through the front passenger window I could not see him. He was lying on the ground and told me to phone 999.”

Mr Ridley said the car had been stationary throughout.

PC Martin Batchelor said in a statement there was “no suggestion of a vehicle collision” when he arrived and that Mr Broom was conscious, adding: “It seemed he just fell and collapsed, striking his head.”

Mr Broom was taken to Salisbury District Hospital, and later transferred to Portsmouth as he was undergoing dialysis treatment.

But Mr Ridley said: “Over the next 13 days he continued to deteriorate and contracted pneumonia and he died at 1.10am on November 15.”

Mr Ridley said Mr Broom, who was a retired silver service waiter, had a “considerable medical background” which included heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, cirrhosis of the liver and chronic kidney disease.

He recorded a conclusion of accidental death.