A DRUNKEN man who hit his head as he fell died of the injuries he sustained, an inquest heard.
John Burrows had staggered from a town centre pub into an alleyway near to Marks and Spencer in the early hours of August 9.
He had fallen to the floor and was found hours later by a postman.
Mr Burrows, 59, of Buxton Way in the town centre, was covered in vomit and taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary where he later died.
Coroner Roger Whittaker said that an inquest was needed because he was initially concerned about the case after two men were seen leaving the alley. A police investigation found that two men were seen on CCTV entering the alleyway shortly after 12.45am and were seen to leave after a minute or two.
Those men were Robert Sharpe and John McEwen, both of Brighouse, who had walked into Huddersfield to collect Mr Sharpe’s Job Seekers Allowance which would be deposited in his bank account at midnight.
After withdrawing £110, the two men began to walk back to Brighouse when they saw Mr Burrows stagger along and fall on New Street.
Mr McEwen went to ask if he needed help and said in a statement read in court: “I asked him if he was OK and he said “I’m all right lad”.
“I asked if he wanted me to call an ambulance but he kept saying he was OK.
“I decided to leave him and he was sitting in the alleyway with his back against the wall.”
At 5.50am postman Stephen Wilson, of Crosland Moor, was walking to the Northumberland Street post depot when he saw another postman, Jason Boothroyd.
They spotted Mr Burrows lying on the floor and Mr Wilson went to check on him and saw that he was breathing.
His wallet, containing £83, was still in his pocket along with other items.
An ambulance was called and Mr Burrows was taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary but later died of a head injury.
He had consumed enough alcohol to put him four times over the legal drink drive limit when samples were taken five hours after he fell.
The coroner Roger Whittaker recorded a verdict of accidental death.
