Man arrested after burglary victim dies

A man was seen acting suspiciously before the break-in

A man has been arrested over the death of a 63-year-old who collapsed after confronting an armed intruder in his West Midlands home on Christmas Eve.

The 29-year-old was detained in the Dudley area on Friday and was being questioned about the death of Brian Howells, police said.

Mr Howells died in hospital after collapsing at his home in Derwent Close, in the Pensnett area of Dudley, at about 2300 GMT on 24 December.

He and his partner are believed to have been confronted by a burglar as they lay in bed.

Pursued intruder

The intruder, who was armed with a hammer, switched on the light and demanded money.

The offender escaped after Mr Howells pursued him out of the bedroom and downstairs.

His partner followed him and found him collapsed in the lounge.

Mr Howells was taken to Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, soon afterwards.

A post-mortem examination found he died of a heart attack brought on by shock and stress.

The detective leading the inquiry praised the "instinctive reaction" of the grandfather in standing up to the attacker.

Mr Howells had a history of heart trouble.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Pepper, of West Midlands Police, said: "It's everyone's worst nightmare to be confronted by an armed attacker in your own bedroom.

"Mr Howells acted courageously and his instinctive reaction was to chase the man away.

"He acted very bravely but the outcome has been tragic."