Gym fall leads to death of retired lecturer

AN 87-YEAR-OLD retired college lecturer died after falling during his first visit to a gym.

Kenneth Howlett had been trying out the cycling machine at Leek Sports Centre before he fell and banged his head.

He and his wife had done some gentle exercise last month, spending about six minutes on the equipment.

They were standing at reception arranging their second visit when Mr Howlett, of East Street, Leek, fell and banged his head on the morning of October 5.

Speaking at an inquest into his death at North Staffordshire Coroner's Court yesterday, Mr Howlett's wife Pauline said: "When he was 69 he had one of his hips replaced and the other one was done three years later when he was 72.

"He would always bounce back and would walk miles and miles. He later had a hip socket replaced and had a little discomfort when he was walking up hills. That's when he decided to go to the gym."

Mrs Howlett continued: "We were enjoying the visit and were arranging to go back again. There were no problems at all.

"We were standing at reception and then he just went backwards, straight out. He never regained consciousness. It was nobody's fault."

Mr Howlett was born in Hanley and attended Leek Grammar School, now Leek College, but left and went to work for Peppers Garage, in High Street, Leek. He then took an apprenticeship with Lawrence Birch Engineering, in Langford Street. That was interrupted by his service in the Royal Air Force as he was trained to fly in Lancaster bombers and later transferred to Air Sea Rescue duties in Scotland.

When Mr Howlett returned home he finished his apprenticeship and went to work for Leek Gas Works and Brittains Paper Mill at Cheddleton.

In 1957 he took a teacher training course and was approached by Leek College to join its engineering team, subsequently becoming head of department.

Mr Howlett was taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire after his fall in the gym and was put on a ventilator. Scans revealed his brain was badly damaged and he would probably not recover.

Later that day his wife and daughter Jayne decided to take him off the machine and he died 10 minutes later.

Mrs Howlett said: "It was peaceful, the way he would have liked. He had a wonderful life."

North Staffordshire coroner Ian Smith, pictured below, recorded a verdict of accidental death.

He said: "Mr Howlett was standing at the reception in Leek Sports Centre when he collapsed. What caused him to fall will remain a mystery.

"A significant bleed was diagnosed and he died later that day."