CLARKE:FATHER MAY HAVE DIED FROM KNIFE WOUNDS SUSTAINED 18 YEARS AGO

A father may have died from injuries sustained in a knife attack nearly 20 years ago, an inquest heard.
 
Michael Clarke, 40, is thought to have been stabbed during a row on a bus in 1993 but did not report the assault to police, Southwark Coroner’s Court heard.

Son Joseph discovered his father’s lifeless body at his flat in Rosenthal Road, Catford, southeast London on December 17 last year.

A post-mortem revealed that his small intestine was compressed into the side of his chest instead of in its usual position in the abdomen.

Pathologist Dr Peter Jerreat discovered a ‘very old scar’, some 3cm in length, on skin covering the divorced plasterer’s ribcage.

He told the inquest that the internal damage, including a ‘massively’ swollen stomach, could only have been caused by trauma.

‘What you had inside was the right side of his chest filled with the compressed small intestine – which shouldn’t have been there,’ he said.

‘It’s not the right site for a congenital abnormality.

‘The only other case is acute trauma; this is seen in road traffic accidents where the abdomen is compressed – but that clearly hasn’t happened here.

‘Then we have to look at the possibility of an older injury that has become worse over the years.

‘At some time there must have been trauma to have caused a weakness there.’

Mr Clarke had told his relatives that he was knifed in May 1993 after he was surrounded by a  group of men on a bus.

Detective Sergeant Nick Dipchan said: ‘He had given them information that he was assaulted some 18 years ago – on May 21, 1993.

‘It was alleged – this is from the grandmother – that he had suffered a stab wound on that day on a bus.

‘It is said that between four and six males had begun verbally abusing him, Mr Clarke retaliated, and one of the males attacked him.

‘He received many blows, one of which we believe was a punch to the area of his ribs.

‘He later realised he had been stabbed and travelled to hospital.’
 
Mr Clarke had told his family that he spent five days being treated in Croydon University Hospital, then named Mayday Hospital, but staff there were unable to find any record of his admission.

‘Our investigations were stalled – we have got not material corroboration,’ said DS Dipchan.

Commenting on the stabbing allegation, Dr Jerreat said: ‘If that is true, this could have caused a wound that has worsened over the years.’

The cause of death was given as intestinal infarction and obstruction.

Coroner Adela Williams told the court that Mr Clarke ‘clearly had been dead for some time’ when his body was discovered.

She added: ‘There was some – I’m going to call it no more than rumour – that Mr Clarke had in the past suffered a stab wound, and certainly the injury had been consistent with a stab wound.

‘However, there would of course be other potential traumas which could have resulted in such a defect.

‘The history of Mr Clarke’s old injury has been investigated by the police.

‘Unfortunately it seems that the initial stabbing was not reported, and there is no sign in the medical records held at Mayday hospital that he had attended there.

‘In these circumstances, I have no evidence to confirm the cause of the trauma.’

Open verdict.
ends