Man accidentally stabbed himself to death trying to separate two burgers
A man died after he accidentally stabbed himself while trying to separate two frozen burgers with a knife, an inquest has heard.
Barry Griffiths, 57, is believed to have sustained a fatal wound to his stomach while parting the frozen-hard burgers with the utensil.
The inquest heard he lived alone and lay dead for several days before being discovered with a trail of blood around his kitchen and bedroom.
Mr Griffiths was found in his flat in Llandrindod Wells, Powys, and a post-mortem examination revealed that he died from a stab wound.
His body was found in July last year after concerns were raised that he hadn’t been seen for more than a week.
Mr Griffiths, who was described as a “very private man”, was found on his bed at his supported living accommodation, fully clothed and with blood on his swollen stomach.
His phone, wallet and computer remained in place and there was no sign of any disturbance in the first-floor flat. There was blood in the hallway, bathroom and bedroom.
Det Ch Insp Jonathan Rees said: “The bottom drawer of the freezer had been left open and pulled forward in a position to access food items.
“On the work surface in the kitchen adjacent to the fridge-freezer were two uncooked burgers, a knife and a tea towel.
“The wound to the abdomen would have been approximately the height of the work surface. My hypothesis at that stage was that Mr Griffiths was attempting to separate frozen burgers using a knife.”
Det Sgt Stephen Vaughan said that he was satisfied that it was not a suicide but “more of an unexplained death” and that there was no indication he had been assaulted.
Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Jones gave the cause of death as blood loss through sharp force injury.
Statements, house-to-house enquiries, and checks on Mr Griffiths’s finances and digital devices were made, which ruled out any third-party involvement.
Det Ch Insp Rees said that the tip of a kitchen knife, which was marked with a substance initially identified as chocolate, turned out to be Mr Griffiths’s blood.
Patricia Morgan, the coroner, concluded that Mr Griffiths, who had restricted use of one arm following a stroke, most likely died from an accident while preparing frozen food for cooking.
Mrs Morgan said Mr Griffiths, who led a “relatively private life with limited contact with others”, lay dead for several days from a single stab wound.