Inquest concludes into the death of two young men who died at Dannsa House care home in East Markham

A coroner apologised to families after an inquest was unable to determine what led to the sudden and unexpected death of two young men who died 24 hours apart.

A three-day inquest into the death of Stuart James Hill, known as Stuie, aged 23, and David Dickson, 24 has concluded today (Friday November 22) — with the grieving relatives still left in the dark a to what happened to them.

The hearing, held at Nottingham City Council by coroner Laurinda Bower, tried to explore what caused the death of the two physically healthy young men, who died within 24 hours of each other at Dannsa House care home in East Markham in August last year.

Despite a 15-month-long investigation, the hearing ended in an ‘open conclusion’ as the coroner was unable to reach a clear answer about the cause of death.

Coroner Laurinda Bower said: “It is an odd and troubling scenario to have two young men die in the same location almost 24 hours apart and for each to have no sign of illness or disease that has caused or contributed to death.

“Their deaths are totally unexplained even after an extensive investigation and I consider that not only has there been a sufficiency of enquiry met for this inquest but in fact it has been far exceeded.”

David Dickson was a senior support worker at Dannsa House, who was staying at the care home on a sleeping shift at the time as he had a meeting scheduled for the next day, August 25, 2023.

When he did not come out of his room for the meeting the next morning, a staff member went to check on him and, upon finding the door locked, used a master key to enter the room where Mr Dickson was found collapsed on the floor.

On the morning following Mr Dickson’s death, Stuie, a resident at the care home since August 2019, was also found dead in his bed.

His mother, Leena Hill, read a pen portrait on the first day of the inquest (November 20) put together by the family, where she explained that Stuie had Glass syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects several areas of development.

Stuie suffered from severe learning difficulties, gastric and dental pain due to his condition and needed 24/7 care and supervision, the court heard.

The hearing included evidence from home office registered forensic pathologist Dr Frances Hollingbury who, after conducting the post-mortem of both individuals, sought the professional assistance of a wide range of professionals to seek to establish a cause of death.

In both cases, the examinations — including the brain and heart which were examined by forensic cardiologist and neurologist experts — showed no evidence of any injury that could have contributed to the death or no evidence of any underlying natural disease.

It also heard from toxicologist Dr Paul Smith who has tested for more than 2,000 different types of toxins, ranging from heavy metals to fertilisers, mushrooms, both legal and illegal drugs and ethanol (alcohol).

Still, results revealed no significant evidence that could suggest any inhalation, ingestion or exposure, causing Dr Hollingbury to conclude that the medical cause of death for both cases to be unascertained.

The court also heard from members of staff at Dannsa House, operated by Kisimul Group, a five-bed detached residence that provides care for young adults with autism, learning disabilities and complex needs.

Seven members of staff gave evidence related to the interactions they had with both Mr Dickson and Stuie prior to their deaths, analysing every interaction and movement they had.

On the day prior to Mr Dickson’s death (August 24), he spoke with registered manager Mrs Ashley Hunt to say that he felt tired and so she agreed to shorten his shift on Friday (August 25) to 8am to 4pm instead of his scheduled 8am to 8.30pm.

Mr Dickson was described as appearing his usual self and not complaining of any illness. It was thought that he was tired either due to shifts or jet lagged after returning from his honeymoon to America days before.

Mrs Hunt was the person who found Mr Dickson collapsed on the floor of the sleeping room.

Despite the troubling death of Mr Dickson, the care home continued to run normally and was supported by senior managers and staff to ensure that residents continued to be looked after.

On August 25, Stuie was said to be his usual self and, despite not going for his daily walk, he was given medication and had sufficient diet and hydration.

“While it was recognised that routine was important for Stuie and that changes could make him anxious, leading to reduced appetite and increased agitative behaviours, there is no evidence that his appetite was so affected that day and no evidence that his behaviour had tended towards agitation,” the coroner said.

Stuie was checked by a senior member of staff, Emily Crofts, who ensured that he had his medication that evening and completed the hourly welfare checks throughout the night.

After completing hourly checks during the night, Mrs Crofts entered the room about 9.10am or 9.15am to wake Stuie and give him his medication, when she found him unresponsive and in cardiac arrest as he wasn’t breathing.

Despite efforts of care staff and paramedics, Stuie was declared deceased about 9.30am on August 26, 2023.

Following an extensive police investigation — where more than 380 actions were generated by the police — evidence was sought from a variety of sources and over 40 witnesses were interviewed, the police could not determine a cause of death.

“It is my strong suspicion that David and Stewie died unconnected natural deaths but I cannot determine such on a balance of probabilities, in the absence of some evidence lending support to this hypothesis,” said the coroner.

“The combination of a 15-month police and coronial investigation and three days of court time dedicated to exploring the evidence gathered which has been warranted in this case has sadly resulted in me being unable to determine a cause of death for either young man.

“I am incredibly sorry to both families but we do not have an answer as to how your loved one died.

“I offer my deepest sympathies to both Stuie's family, to David's family joining online and I am so sorry for your loss.

“I'm so sorry that we've not been able to give you the answers that you so require and that David and Stuie deserve and I wish you all the very best.”

From all the evidence collected throughout the inquest, Mr Dickson was described as being ‘kind, caring, thoughtful and professional’.

Mrs Laurinda Bower said: “He was a much-loved husband and a very much valued member of the care team at Dannsa House, someone who could be relied upon and somebody who could break a joke when perhaps it was required.”

She added: “Stuie was a beloved son, with a megawatt smile, and clearly meant so much not only to his family, but to all those whose lives he touched, including the carers at Dannsa House.”