Mystery bruise caused Worthing woman's death

Irene Willott, 92, of Amberley Lodge nursing home in Chaucer Road, Worthing, died in Worthing Hospital on December 23 last year.

She was admitted on December 17 when staff at the home discovered the 5in-long bruise on her lower left leg.

Mrs Willott had been to see the pantomime Aladdin at Worthing's Pavilion Theatre that day but could not remember how she got the bruise.

Her condition deteriorated in hospital and she died due to the bruise and a number of other conditions she was suffering with, including bronchial pneumonia, immobility, a heart defect and heart disease.

Mrs Willott had been operated on to drain the bruise, but her son, Geoffrey Willott, of Palatine Road, Goring, was unhappy as he had not been informed of the operation until after it had happened.

At an inquest at Worthing Town Hall yesterday (Tuesday, February 26) coroner Penelope Schofield recorded that Mrs Willott died of natural causes.

Tracey Cummings, from Amberley Lodge, said: "Mrs Willott was so excited about going to the panto.

"She did struggle to get on and off the minibus.

"When she got home, she was taken into the lounge and we noticed the haematoma.

"It was 5ins and I have never seen one like it before.

"She wasn't in pain. She had no idea how she got it."