Castle Howard aristocrat Simon Howard died from excess insulin - coroner

Simon Howard ran the Castle Howard estate until 2015

A disgraced aristocrat died days after being given excess insulin in hospital, an inquest has heard.

Simon Howard, 66, died at York Hospital on 27 February 2022. His inquest in Northallerton, North Yorkshire heard he had "unstable diabetes" and epilepsy.

Hospital bosses have offered his family an apology.

Mr Howard - who ran Castle Howard from 1983 to 2015 - was found to have indecently assaulted a young girl in 1984 but was unfit to stand trial.

In November 2021 he received an absolute discharge at York Crown Court because he was declared unfit to stand trial due to a brain injury caused by a fall in 2020.

The stately home was designed by John Vanbrugh at the end of the 17th Century

On 15 February 2022, Mr Howard, who was married to Rebecca, was taken to York Hospital following a suspected stroke.

There he was prescribed medicine containing 24 units of insulin in the morning and 30 units of insulin in the evening before he was discharged from hospital the next day.

Mr Howard's personal assistant, Christine Sadler, who helped him with his medication, told the inquest only weeks previously his usual dose at home had been 18 units in the morning and the same in the evening.

North Yorkshire assistant coroner Sarah Watson said it was "unclear" how the discrepancy in the amount of insulin prescribed came about, particularly as a phone call was made from the hospital to Ms Sadler to check with her.

When a member of the pharmacy team queried the amount, an unnamed doctor overruled her.

Mr Howard, a father-of-two and managing director of the firm running Castle Howard, was discharged and prescribed with the higher insulin dose.

He was found unconscious at home on 19 February after suffering hypoglycemic encephalopathy - extremely low blood sugar levels.

He never recovered and died in hospital.

'Brain damaged'

The coroner gave a narrative conclusion and said Mr Howard died "as a consequence of the recognised exacerbating effects of excess insulin administration on pre-existing naturally occurring disease, and brain injury following a fall".

The inquest was told Mr Howard was possibly "intoxicated" when he fell down the stairs at his home in 2020.

He was found by his son and taken to hospital but was left permanently brain damaged.

Mr Howard had been the custodian of Castle Howard - the backdrop to films and the hit TV shows Bridgerton and Brideshead Revisited.

Castle Howard was designed in 1699 and remains a private residence, having been in the hands of the Howard family for more than 300 years.

Following a family disagreement, Mr Howard moved out of the stately home and lived nearby in Welham Hall in Malton.

After the inquest, his family said they were grateful to the coroner for answering questions they had about Mr Howard's death.

They added: "Simon was far from being a well man.

"He suffered traumatic brain injuries from a fall downstairs at home in early 2020, he had recently had a suspected stroke and was struggling to manage his Type 1 diabetes.

"But when he was admitted to hospital, none of us imagined that he wouldn't be coming home."

Speaking after the inquest, a spokesman for York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said they "sincerely" regretted Mr Howard's death and apologised "unreservedly" to his family.

They said all such incidents were investigated to ensure similar events did not happen again.

"This investigation resulted in significant learning and important changes, with new guidance and protocols for all staff in our hospitals, which have since been implemented."