Couple found dead on Christmas Day 'inhaled carbon monoxide fumes from cooker'

A couple found dead at their village home on Christmas Day were killed by inhaling lethal carbon monoxide fumes from a closed gas cooker, an inquest heard today.

David Roots, 55, and former teacher Zocika O'Kelly, 53, were found lying lifeless in the upstairs bedroom of the home they shared in Eccles, near Maidstone, Kent, on December 25 last year.

Police entered the terraced property on Belgrave Street using a door key from a neighbour following a concerned call from Mr Roots' estranged wife Patricia.

Mr Roots, a lighting engineer, had arranged a Christmas visit to his three adult children but had not arrived as planned.

Sgt Peter Heaton of Kent Police told the inquest at County Hall in Maidstone how he discovered the two bodies shortly after arriving at the house at 5.10pm, with Mrs O'Kelly found on the bed and Mr Roots lying face down on the floor.

He said: "As I had no obvious indication of what happened, I conducted a search of the house. I entered the kitchen and on the right there was a grey free standing gas cooker. I realised the top component was on and very hot so I turned it off. I had to knock the dial with my knuckle rather than take hold of it."

On driving back to his station he began to suffer from a headache, a sign of carbon monoxide exposure, and spoke to his senior colleague still at the scene.

Post-mortem examinations carried out on December 30 by forensic pathologist Dr David Rouse at the Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham confirmed the cause of death.

Both bodies displayed a cherry pink colouration commonly associated with carbon monoxide poisoning.

Cliff Willard, a regional technical manager for British Gas, who helped conduct an investigation at the house on January 5 told the hearing the cooker was not in a clean condition, but had been installed correctly with clear instructions to ensure the grill door remained open when grilling.

Mr Willard said after examining the scene he suspected the grill might have been inadvertently flipped shut following cooking or put on deliberately to "take the chill off the air".

Robert Makriel, field technical engineer for British Gas said he had previously attended the house twice in September 2008 to explain how to operate the hot plates on the Belling G755 gas cooker and on his second visit Mrs O'Kelly had appeared confused and could not remember why she had requested a call out.

Karen Springford of Kent County Council's Trading Standards told the inquest that the service had been alerted following three similar occurrences where gas cookers had been implicated in cases of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The cooker complied with safety regulations and operating standards, but there was a possibility of it being used in contravention of the instruction booklet, with the door closed.

She said Trading Standards had within the last three months overseen a process whereby unsold appliances of this type were being modified with a new door seal to increase airflow before being dispatched to retailers.

She added existing owners of the product were also being contacted by letter to inform them that the modification could be carried out, with 85% of addresses already traced.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Roger Sykes, coroner for mid-Kent and Medway said: "In both cases the deaths were due to carbon monoxide poisoning. I am satisfied in both cases that the deaths were as a result of an accident and the circumstances are the same. Each was found at their home address on December 25, 2008 having inhaled carbon monoxide fumes emanating from a gas cooker grill which had been operating with the door closed in contravention of the manufacturer's instructions."

He added: "I am unable to determine whether the grill had been deliberately used to heat the premises or had been properly used to cook food and had been inadvertently not switched off after the door was closed."

Mr Sykes said he could not tell whether the couple inhaled the fumes upstairs or had been first affected downstairs where the fumes were stronger.

Extending his condolences to the couple's family for the "tragic deaths", he said: "It seems therefore there has been a proper and responsible response to these deaths and with similar deaths and there is nothing further I can identify that would benefit from a report being made."

Speaking after the inquest, Mr Roots' estranged wife Patricia described her husband as generous and hard working.

She said: "It was an accident, but I still think it was an accident that could have been avoided. It is too late for us, but it might not be for others. I hope by making people aware, it may do some good."