Onchan: Stress of pear attack on home contributed to woman's death

The court was told people around Ridgeway Road had been "troubled by youths... for some years"

The stress caused by children throwing pears at a woman's home "contributed significantly" to her death, an inquest has heard.

Lesley Cubbon, 73, died shortly after calling police three times in 15 minutes to complain about the attack on her house in Onchan on 11 August 2020.

Douglas Courthouse heard she told a call handler she would "have a damn heart attack before this lot's over".

Coroner Jayne Hughes recorded a verdict of natural causes.

The court was told people in the area around Mrs Cubbon's home on Ridgeway Road had been "troubled by youths... for some years".

Neighbours said the "disgraceful" behaviour of the children in nearby Onchan Park had escalated after Manx Covid-19 lockdown restrictions were eased in May 2020.

'Issue of disorder'

The court heard that on the evening of Mrs Cubbon's death, a group of about 10 children had been throwing pears picked from a neighbour's garden at her home and had verbally abused her husband.

Mrs Cubbon was said to have had "desperation and frustration in her voice" when she called the police three times between 20:38 and 20:53 BST.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said at one point, she told the operator: "I'll have a damn heart attack before this lot's over."

Police arrived and spoke to a group of children at about 20:55, but they denied being involved.

At about 21:25, Mrs Cubbon was found collapsed on the bathroom floor by her husband.

She was pronounced dead by paramedics a short time later.

The court heard measures to combat antisocial behaviour, including installing lighting and CCTV in the park, had been hindered by the pandemic, but had since been rolled out.

Recording her verdict, the coroner concluded myocardial ischaemia, a severe blockage of one of the heart's arteries, was the cause of Mrs Cubbon's death, but said the "stress and frustration" caused by the attack "contributed significantly".

She said it was "indeed unfortunate" that the work had not been completed "sooner and prior to the shocking circumstances of Lesley's death", but she was "satisfied" that Onchan Commissioners and Isle of Man Constabulary had "taken steps to address the issue of disorder in Onchan Park".