CFS sufferer may have died of heart failure and malnutrition, inquest hears | This is Local London | 18 September 2013

September 19, 2013


From This is This is Local London, 18 September 2013.

A Wood Green man died on his birthday from natural causes, an inquest has ruled.

Paul Hancock, of Clyde Road, Wood Green, died on February 26 this year, the same day as his 53rd birthday.

A post mortem suggested he died of a heart failure and malnutrition at his Wood Green home.

Mr Hancock, who was born in Brazil, was a trainee psychotherapist but had been out of work since 1998 after being diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

The inquest, at Barnet Coroners Court in Wood Lane, also heard yesterday that Mr Hancock had not been taking any anti-depressants nor had he shown any suicide intentions according to a statement from his psychiatrist Massimo Ricoh.

Mr Ricoh, who had been treating Mr Hancock since May 19, 2006, wrote in a statement: “The last meeting we had was on May 30, 2012, and he looked very pale. We arranged for another appointment on November 20, 2012, but Mr Hancock cancelled. He never had a suicidal intent.”

PC Winston Letman attended the scene at 4.10pm on February 26, after a neighbour had collected a parcel for Mr Hancock and was concerned that lights were on in his home but there was no answer at the door. The PC went on to disclose that there was nothing suspicious about the death.

Coroner Andrew Walker concluded that Mr Hancock had died of natural causes.

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