Dead Worthing man's bones left in shoe

Tragic Matt Wodhams, 28, died 11 days after falling from the top floor of the Teville Gate multi-storey car park on August 29.

Bones in his feet were snapped by the massive impact of the fall '“ and the shoes, with the bone still in them, were handed back to his family in a brown paper bag.

The Herald has received three pictures taken by the shocked family.

The pictures are too gruesome to publish '“ but they show a large piece of exposed heel bone lodged in the back of Matt's trainer.

These are not small splinters or fragments. The bone still has traces of flesh and blood.

It is smashed and shattered from the impact of the fall. One piece has been forced through the back of the shoe.

Matt's Worthing family decided to tell the Herald about the shocking discovery.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Matt's uncle, Martin Ruffell, said: "It is absolutely inexcusable. We hope that no person shall ever have to experience the added pain and suffering that Mary (Matthew's mother] and her family have had to go through.

"Even though Mary has never seen the pictures or the shoes, she will forever have a picture in her mind which always brings her to tears even thinking about it. I cannot think of a worse scenario to have occurred at such a time."

Matt's shoes were put into a police paper bag at the scene of the fall outside the exit to Teville Gate car park, and the bag was taken with Matt by ambulance to Worthing Hospital.

It appears from then on, nobody checked to see what was inside the paper bag before it was handed to the family. Martin said Matt's mum, Mary, could not face the thought of opening the bag and took it home.

He said it was Matt's sisters, Joanne, 44, and Jackie, 40, who decided

to look in the bag to check their brother's shoe size so the family could buy him a new pair to go with the new clothes that had already been bought for his funeral.

Martin, 66, said: "Joanne, part of Matthew's heel bone was still inside the shoe.

"My nieces were extremely distressed, to say the least. I am only

thankful my sister was not exposed to this dreadful sight of part of her

son still in a shoe."

Following the discovery, on September 11, Martin immediately emailed a letter to the hospital's director of nursing, Denise Chaffer, and an investigation was launched.

In his letter, Martin said: "Matthew died as a result of injuries he received from a suicide jump from the top of a building. Was this not enough of a nightmare for my sister and her family?

"How could such a thing occur and why didn't some person check the contents of the paper bag before being handed to my sister and Matthew's father?

"As this was a very high impact injury to his feet, do you not think

that it should have been one of the priorities to inspect his feet?"

The family attended a meeting last week to hear the hospital's response. Martin said: "They were extremely distressed about the

whole event and were very apologetic, not exactly laying the blame

at any one individual but saying a number of people were at fault.

"The doctor who operated on Matt emphasised the importance of getting

Matt into intensive care, which, of course, is true but in no way excuses what happened with the bag. Mary feels very strongly the bag should have been checked prior to Matt going into critical care."

Matt's family said they had to attend his funeral knowing that part of Matthew was missing.

To add to the family's distress, Martin said Mary received a letter from the hospital offering its sincere apologies, but both Matthew

and Martin's names had been spelled incorrectly.

The hospital explained there was a series of failures that led to Matt's belongings not being checked properly.

The letter said failures included the assumption by hospital staff

that because Matt's belongings had been placed in a sealed police bag,

it should not be opened.

Also, the correct procedure for inspecting a deceased person's belongings by the hospital bereavement officer did not happen in the

case of Matt's belongings before they were handed back to his family.

The family wanted to make it clear they were "absolutely happy" with Matt's care while he was in hospital.

Martin said: "There is no criticism whatsoever of the medical staff. Matthew was treated with the utmost respect and dignity at all times during those 11 days."