Man died hours before partner gave birth to their daughter
A heavily pregnant woman tried to wake up her 40-year-old partner before going to hospital to give birth – only to find he had died after doctors misread an abnormal heart scan, an inquest has been told.
Rebecca Moss, from Stretford, Greater Manchester, said “wake up, it’s baby day” to Thomas Gibson as she attempted to perform emergency first aid, before an ambulance arrived and he was pronounced dead, Stockport Coroner’s Court heard.
Hours later, Ms Moss gave birth to their daughter Harper.
She told the inquest into his death that she woke up around 5.15am on 7 June last year, the date of her elective Caesarean section, and went downstairs.
Ms Moss said her partner was asleep on the couch. “I was trying to cheer him up and was saying ‘wake up, it’s baby day’, she told the hearing.
“Tom didn’t respond, so I went over to the couch to give him a kiss. He was lying in his usual sleeping position. When I touched him, he was cold and stiff. He wouldn’t wake up.
“I called 999 immediately. They asked me to pull Tom on to the floor and perform chest compressions. I started chest compressions until the ambulance arrived.”
She also said the “shock, trauma and physical exertion” was “overwhelming” at 39 weeks pregnant as she had to pull him off the couch and carry out chest compressions on him.
The inquest also heard a hospital doctor said he had misinterpreted an electrocardiogram (ECG) scan carried out 11 days earlier, when he had gone to A&E with a severe stomach bug.
Pic: PA
Mr Gibson was physically fit but was suffering from cramps and diarrhoea for around three weeks before his death, the hearing was told.
He attended A&E at Wythenshawe Hospital on 27 May last year and was seen by Dr Oliver Handley.
The medic found his ECG trace showed signs of an abnormality and referred it for a second opinion to a more senior figure there, Dr Thomas Bull.
Dr Bull, the medical registrar, said the ECG scan was likely to be an abnormality which he described as an intraventricular block, that is “not an uncommon finding” and not clinically “significant” without other heart-related symptoms.
“I advised if there’s no heart symptoms generally then that would not require any investigation at this time,” Dr Bull said.
Pic: PA
Analysis later found the ECG identified a complete heart block, also known as a third-degree heart block, the most serious kind, which can lead to sudden cardiac death, according to lawyers for the family.
Dr Bull added: “I can see now, in retrospect and in hindsight, there is abnormalities over and above those I could see present.”
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Mr Gibson, who worked in a timber yard, was discharged from hospital after no immediate treatment was thought to be needed.
He was asked to return in a week if his severe stomach illness had not got better.
But he was found dead 11 days later from sudden cardiac death, a pathologist concluded.
Lawyers for his relatives said Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has made a full admission of liability that it provided negligent medical care to him in the days before his death.
The inquest continues.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh.
It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated.
He told the Sunday Times the properties should be handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.
Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq.
“He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption.
“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”
Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”.
Her aunt was ousted from office in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership and fled to India.
Ms Siddiq is also named with her aunt in Bangladesh court documents about meetings with the Russian government.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir to sack the minister
Read more from Sky News:
Ten Reform councillors quit in protest
Liz Truss sends cease and desist letter to Starmer
As economic secretary to the Treasury, Ms Siddiq is responsible for policy on both the City and tackling corruption.
She referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog on Monday following the reports about the properties.
On the same day, the prime minister said: “Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought into being the new code.
“It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts, and yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening.”
Police in Aberdeen have widened the search area for two sisters who disappeared four days ago in the city.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV on Market Street after leaving their home on Tuesday at around 2.12am.
The sisters – who are part of a set of triplets and originally from Hungary – crossed the Victoria Bridge to the Torry area and turned right on to a footpath next to the River Dee.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti were last seen on CCTV in Market Street. Pic: Police Scotland/PA
They headed in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club but officers said there is no evidence to suggest the missing women left the immediate area.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and a marine unit have been trying to trace the pair.
The sisters crossed Victoria Bridge before walking along a footpath next to the River Dee
The pair were heading in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club on the south side of the River Dee
Further searches are being carried out towards the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour and Duthie Park.
Police Scotland said it is liaising with authorities in Hungary to support the relatives of the two sisters.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Eliza and Henrietta’s family are understandably extremely worried about them and we are working tirelessly to find them.
“We are seriously concerned about them and have significant resources dedicated to the inquiry.”
The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Officers have requested businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review their CCTV footage for the early morning of Tuesday 7 January.
Police added they are keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage from that time.
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