A FAMILY’S eight-year wait for an inquiry into their relative’s death has finally ended.

The longest outstanding inquest in York has been held when it was ruled pensioner John Dale, who died on November 10, 2006, had died from sepsis, brought on by a catalogue of injuries he suffered after breaking his kneecap.

York’s acting senior coroner, Jonathan Leach, apologised at the inquest for the time taken for the hearing to be closed.

Addressing Mr Dale’s daughter Sharon Stabbins, he said: “The first apology is to you as I understand your family found out about the inquest secondhand.

“The other apology is for the length of time this has taken to be listed.”

Mr Leach recorded a narrative verdict. The inquest heard Mr Dale, 63, was paralysed in 1993 but remained independent. He fell while attempting to get into his adapted car but did not feel anything.

A week later he noticed swelling around his knee and was taken to hospital when a scan revealed he had broken the bone.

He wore a number of casts to heal the bone, but they caused pressure sores. During his time at home following his discharge from the Lascelles Neurological Rehabilitation Unit, in Harrogate, the former timber yard worker developed further pressure sores while the other wounds were healing. He was taken to York Hospital in September 2006 when his condition worsened.

Stevan Stojkovic, surgeon at York Hospital, said: “Despite efforts, he had got to the point where he was fed up of everything. We had discussions but it was at that point we were losing the battle and we would try and keep him as comfortable as possible.”

Although severely disabled and blind in one eye, Mr Dale was independent, drove an adapted car and was able to dress himself.

Speaking after the inquest, Ms Stabbins said:“My dad was a very funny man and from becoming paralysed in 1993 and losing an eye, he was still full of fun.”

The Press has written many articles about inquest delays in York over the last ten years.

Last year it was reported how inquests in York took too long to complete, according to tough new guidelines. Coroners were last year told to wind up inquests within six months of being made aware of a death, following growing concerns about lengthy delays. 

Inquests in York took an average of 31 weeks to complete in 2012 compared with an average of 26 weeks in England and Wales.

Some 45 per cent of York inquests took between six to 12 months to complete and nine per cent took more than a year.