A 59 YEAR OLD ALCHOLIC, FOUND DRUNK ON EALING BROA

A 59 YEAR OLD ALCHOLIC, FOUND DRUNK ON EALING BROADWAY AND

ARRESTED FOR HER OWN SAFETY, DIED IN POLICE CUSTODY FROM A FREAK

ACCIDENT, AN INQUEST HEARD ON THURSDAY.

HAMMERSMITH CORONERS COURT WAS TOLD HOW MRS VIVIENNE MARGOLIN,

OF SWAN COURT, GURNELL GROVE, WEST EALING, WAS FOUND ALMOST

CONSCIOUS LAST JANUARY WITH 284 MILLIGRAMS OF ALCHOL IN HER BLOOD –

OVER THREE TIMES THE LEGAL LIMIT FOR MOTORISTS.

AN UNDETECTED PIECE OF CHEWING GUM LATER LODGED IN HER

TRACHAE, COMPLETELY BLOCKING HER LUNGS.

AND DESPITE ATTEMPTS AT

ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION SHE DIED AT EALING POLICE STATION ON JANUARY

31.

THE INQUEST JURY RETURNED A MISADVENTURE VERDICT ON THE WOMAN

WHO THEY HEARD HAD AN ALCHOL PROBLEM AND WAS FOUND WITH AN EMPTY HALF

BOTTLE OF VODKA.

THE CAUSE OF DEATH WAS THE CHEWING GUM BLOCKING THE TRACHAE AND

HER HIGH ALCHOL CONTENT.

CORONER DR JOHN BURTON SAID THE PROBLEM FACED BY THE POLICE

IN ‘THIS UNIQUE CASE’ WOULD HAVE BEEN ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DEAL WITH.

HE ADDED: ‘WE DON’T USUALLY SEE ANYTHING LIKE THIS, WHEN THE

LUNGS HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY BLOCKED.

IT’S KNOWN AS A ‘CAFE CORONARY’

WHEN, AFTER DRINKING, A PIECE OF FOOD GOES DOWN THE WRONG WAY AND

LOOKS LIKE A HEART ATTACK.

IN THIS CASE THE GUM WENT RIGHT DOWN THE

WINDPIPE.

‘

HE CONTINUED: ‘THERE IS NO SATISFACTORY ANSWER ABOUT WHAT TO DO

WITH DRUNKS.

THERE HAVE BEEN SUGGESTIONS OF LARGE CENTRES TO

TAKE THEM TO, BUT THERE’S STILL THE PROBLEM OF WHERE AND HOW TO

TRANSPORT THEM

‘HOSPITALS DON’T WANT THEM.

DRUNKS COME ALONG AND SMASH

CASUALTY ROOMS, SO IT’S OFTEN LEFT TO THE POLICE.

DR BURTON WENT ON: ‘THIS IS AN INCREASING PROBLEM.

IN 10 YEARS

THE NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALCOHOL HAS INCREASED SIX TIMES.

‘

POLICE OFFICERS TOLD THE INQUEST HOW MRS MARGOLIN WAS PLACED IN

THE RECOVERY POSITION IN THE STATION’S CHARGE ROOM AFTER BEING

FORMALLY ARRESTED.

A DOCTOR WAS CALLED BUT SHE HAD APPEARED TO BE SLEEPING WHEN AN

OFFICER NOTICED HER FACE TURNING BLUE, THE INQUEST HEARD.

PC IAN BLACK TOLD THE CORONER THAT AN AMBULANCE WAS CALLED.

.

‘I

THOUGHT I COULD SEE SOME CHEWING GUM BUT I HAD A GOOD ROOT AROUND HER

MOUTH AND DIDN’T FIND ANYTHING,’ HE SAID.

‘WE THEN GAVE HER

ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION.

‘

POLICE SERGEANT BRIAN COOPER SAID HE WAS SATISFIED THE WOMAN

WAS ‘JUST ANOTHER DRUNK’ UNTIL HER CONDITION DETERIORATED.

‘SHE HAD BEEN SNORING,’ HE CONTINUED.

‘THERE WAS NO REASON

FOR ME TO RING FOR AN AMBULANCE.

‘IF YOU HAVE A DRUNK PERSON YOU

WOULDN’T NORMALLY CALL AN AMBULANCE OR DOCTOR.

IT DEPENDS ON THEIR

CONDITION.

‘

BUT WHEN SHE BEGAN TO DETERIORATE AND TURN BLUE AN AMBULANCE

WAS CALLED.

SERGEANT COOPER GAVE MOUTH-TO-MOUTH RESUSCITATION AND PC

BLACK APPLIED HEART MASSAGE BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO SAVE MRS

MARGOLIN’S LIFE.

ENDS