The Croydon Advertiser 6th December 1924

Hawkers Death

Coroner and a Croydon Hospital Doctor

Mr. Sydney Gordon Davidson, a young house surgeon at Croydon General Hospital was criticised by Mr. F. J. Nightingale, the Coroner, at an inquest at Mitcham on Wednesday afternoon.

The inquiry was in to the death of Robert Mara, a hawker, of 12, Queens Road, Rock Terrace, Mitcham, who was knocked down by a motor van in Croydon Road on Saturday evening and succumbed to his injuries.

Alice Elizabeth Mara, the widow, said when her husband, who was 49, was brought home on Saturday evening, after he had been taken to Croydon Hospital, he complained of pains in his stomach. He told her a motor van had hit him in the back.

Henry Mara, a schoolboy, son of the deceased man, who was with is father when the accident happened, gave hi evidence in such a bright, clear and confident manner that he was thanked by the coroner, who frequently smiled at the lad’s ready answers and illustrations.

The Coroner-Do you know what it means to take an oath?
Henry-Yes, sir: to speak the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
The Coroner (smiling)-All right.
The lad then went on to tell how he and his father were on their way home from Croydon when the van struck them. His father was pushing a coster’s barrow and he was sitting in it. There was a light on the right side of the barrow.

Stanley Hicks, High Street, London Road, Mitcham, said he was driving the Ford bread van in the direction for Mitcham when his light suddenly picked out a barrow.

Dr. Bentley said Mara was in a collapsed state when he saw him at Mitcham Police Station and he complained of pains in his abdomen. There was a severe bruise on the lower part of the abdomen, and as he suspected an abdominal organ was badly injured. He sent him to Croydon Hospital. He did not see him alive again.

The Coroner-In view of your examination aren’t you surprised the man was sent home?

Dr. Bentley-I was surprised he was at home the same night.

Sydney Gordon Davison, who said he was the house surgeon at Croydon General Hospital, said he notice the lacerated wound on Mara’s chin and the bruise on the abdomen and ha asked twice if he felt any pain in the abdomen. Mara said “No.”

By the Coroner-He examined the man carefully and he appeared to be deeply shocked. He knew he had been knocked down by a motor van.

The Coroner-What I can’t understand is why you sent a man seriously injured home. Witness repeated that Mara did not complain of pains in his abdomen.

The Coroner-Did it not occur to you that there might be internal injury? Witness did not reply,

The Coroner-It seems extraordinary to me.

Answering further questions, witness said there were no vacant beds at the hospital.

The Coroner-Would you have detained him if there had been a bed?-Yes.

The Coroner-The serious injury was apparent to Dr. Bentley and what I can’t understand is why it was not apparent to you.

In the course of further questioning with regard to accommodation at Mayday Road Hospital witness said the reason he did not send Mara there was that he thought he was fit to go home.

The Coroner-But he was seriously injured

Witness again said that Mara did not complain of pains in the abdomen.

The Coroner-Of course the man was in a state of shock and in no condition to complain.

Returning a verdict of accidental death the Coroner said he was satisfied there was no culpable negligence on the part of the driver. It was a highly dangerous thing to push a barrow along a road on a dark night, and the red light-if the lamp was alight, which he was not satisfied about-was so small that it was obscured by the man himself.

“I do express the opinion.2 Mr Nightingale continued, “that the man should have been detained at Croydon. He was seriously injured when Dr. Bentley saw him, and he was obviously no better when he got to Croydon. I think he might have been sent to the other hospital.”

Answering the solicitor, the Coroner said he exempted the driver of the van from blame.