Man's 'stroke' was blow to head

A pathologist has admitted wrongly claiming that a man killed by a blow to the head had had a stroke.

Frankie Williams, 42, had 16 cuts and bruises to his head and face when he was found dead at his home in Birkenhead, Merseyside, in May 1999.

A General Medical Council (GMC) hearing on Monday heard the injuries probably came from a drunken fall or fight.

Dr Martin Gillett, 55, failed to notice the bruising and said Mr Williams had suffered a fatal stroke.

The serious professional misconduct hearing in Manchester heard that a second post-mortem was carried when Mr Williams' family saw the bruises on his body.

'Unreasonable' conclusion

The Home Office pathologist strongly disagreed with Dr Gillett's conclusion of a stroke, recording instead that he suffered a brain haemorrhage caused by blunt trauma to the head.

Mr Williams had fallen over 10 days before he died and was involved in a fight the day before his death, although Dr Gillett was unaware of the incidents when he carried out his post-mortem.

Dr Gillett, of West Kirby, Merseyside, later changed his conclusion to agree with the second post-mortem, having been told the full history.

He admits failing to observe the cuts and bruises and making an "unreasonable" conclusion that Mr Williams was killed by a stroke.

Barrister Ian Stern, for the GMC, said: "The complaint is not that Dr Gillett failed to provide a solution as to what happened to Mr Williams.

"Quite frankly, one is almost speechless as to how these bruises were missed.

'Difficult to recall'

"The complaint is in relation to him totally failing to determine that the subdural haematoma caused the death and that it was caused by blunt trauma, however that trauma was caused."

In a letter of explanation to the GMC, Dr Gillett said it was difficult to recall whether he saw the bruises and dismissed them as minor, or did not see them.

He pointed out that his examinations tended not to focus on cuts and bruises unless the death was thought to have had occurred in suspicious circumstances.

Dr Gillett denies failing to provide the Home Office pathologist with sufficient detail about his initial post mortem and denies the circumstances amount to professional misconduct.

The hearing continues.