A MAN died of a head injury he suffered after a fall in the high street in Presteigne.

Thomas Rudolph Joyce, aged 67, from Castle Road, Presteigne, died on December 22 at Hereford County Hospital following a fall a week earlier.

Dr Owalabi, a consultant at the Wye Valley NHS Trust said that Mr Joyce had attended the hospital on December 15 following a fall onto a parked car and had hit his head.

A witness had said that Mr Joyce had not lost consciousness but had been very confused following the incident.

"He had suffered a traumatic head injury and haemorrhage and was admitted to the stroke unit," said Dr Owalabi.

A subsequent scan showed that the brain haemorrhage had increased and his condition continued to deteriorate.

He died on December 22.

Mr Joyce's wife Elizabeth Joyce told the inquest that her husband had suffered a stroke the previous May which had effected his vision and he had poor balance.

However, she explained that he did not usually fall inside or outside.

She told the inquest that the previous night Mr Joyce had fallen and bruised his hip while visiting the toilet.

Mrs Joyce added that after his her husband had no recollection of falling in the high street and could not explain why or how he fell.

"I feel the brain injury may have started the evening before," said Mrs Joyce.

"The walk to the shop could have accelerated it."

Mark Bricknell, coroner for Herefordshire, acknowledge the complication of Mr Joyce's previous history but concluded a verdict of accident death.

"The is a complex picture," concluded Mr Bricknell.

"There is some evidence that he may have been dazed prior to his fall. He may have not been at his best at the time of the fall.

"However, it is clear that he did fall and he did hit his head."