Father of 35 died after collision with slow car in Melton
A father with 35 children died after colliding with a slow-moving car as he crossed the road.
Trevor Hearne was crossing near Morrisons supermarket, in Melton, when the accident happened.
An inquest at Loughborough Coroner's Court yesterday heard that the collision occurred at a very low speed and that 54-year-old Mr Hearne had been drinking.
The inquest heard driver George Green, 73, a Melton resident who had been an advanced driver with the police motorway patrol before working for 21 years as a driving instructor, was driving along Rutland Street when he heard a noise, at about 5.20pm on December 19.
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"I heard a loud bang on the windscreen and was aware some object had gone across my windscreen," said Mr Green, in a statement which was read out at the hearing.
"At this point, I was travelling at no more than 5mph.
"I was shaken and immediately braked to a halt and saw a man lying in the road."
No witnesses saw the collision itself. Investigator Pc James Lawrence told the inquest he could not be certain which way Mr Hearne was walking across the road.
Kelly Burdett was standing nearby when the collision happened.
She told the court: "The car was not going fast. All I remember is seeing the gentleman in the road, and the next thing I knew he was on the ground and people were running to help.
"There was a noise, but I thought the car's wing mirror had fallen off or something."
The inquest heard that Mr Hearne lived in a caravan off Saxby Road, in Melton, with his wife, Ginty Taylor, with whom he had four children.
He also had 31 other children with various different women.
Mr Hearne drank about 30 cans of lager each day and during the post-mortem examination traces of alcohol and relaxants ketamine and propathol were found.
Pathologist Dr Frances Hollingsbury told the inquest Mr Hearne's skull was broken into several pieces and there was evidence of bruising and bleeding on his brain. She said: "He had a number of external injuries that could have been caused by the impact with the car, but the most likely cause of the head injury was the impact with the ground."
Mr Hearne was taken to Queen's Medical Centre, in Nottingham, where he was pronounced dead in the early hours of the following day.
Coroner Robert Chapman recorded a verdict of accidental death.
He said: "Mr Hearne was a man who liked to drink and had had something to drink. It was a very low-speed impact and, after Mr Hearne was brushed by the car, he fell and it's likely the fracture was caused when the back of his head hit the road surface."
Comments
by Chappy1884
Monday, October 22 2012, 10:20AM
“Telephone7 - I never assumed anything, I dispelled the assumptions of others,
just like you have in saying you'd need a six figure salary to bring up 35 kids.
You would if they were all your kids.
35 kids could be spread across any number of mothers.
And if all of those mothers could support their own kids - and didn't need his help,
then there is no dependency and therefore no requirement for benefits.
Before you take me to task, consider all the variables.
I am not saying they aren't claiming - it's not the kids fault.
But you have focussed on the 35 kids and drinking habits, rather than the event.”
by City_C10
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 10:10PM
“"He also had 31 other children with various different women.
Mr Hearne drank about 30 cans of lager each day and during the post-mortem examination traces of alcohol and relaxants ketamine and propathol were found."
Say no more!”
by MrBud
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 9:57PM
“Just imagine how busy Father's Day would have been!”
by telephone7
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 9:06PM
“Agreed, this is tragic 35 kids loosing their father. Just to address Chappys assumptions, Partners self sufficient?? they will need to be earning six figure salaries to keep 35 kids, highly unlikely if they are with a bloke dowing 30 cans a day. Delboy if you are going to blame anyone blame the government not the family. It is the labour government that created the rules which makes it beneficial to have lots of children and be fiscally remunerated. Working Tax Credits, Tax Credits, Housing benefits, Income Support, Incapacity benefit etc etc get the strategy right and you never have to work again.”
by karinfall1955
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 8:05PM
“Obviously wasn't troubled by brewers droop. I dare say he would have been taken by cirrhosis of the liver before long..”
by oldhenry
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 3:31PM
“How did he stay sober long enough to have that many kids? Or perhaps the kids drove him to drink?
Well I am sorry for the chap that hit him as it would have damaged his car and who is going to pay for that.?
Pedestrians should be breathalysed as well as motorists.”
by Angels501
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 12:09PM
“To chappy1884 - I quite agree with all of your comments and I think that the Mercury are in the wrong for pointing out that he had this amount of children, it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that this man has died and the driver of the car that hit him must be feeling terribly guilty”
by JayBe11
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 11:34AM
“"No wonder the planet, and especially this country, is getting so overcrowded."
It's hardly typical.”
by Chappy1884
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 11:33AM
“No mention of the trauma it caused to any of them then?
Or the trauma it caused the bystanders or in fact the driver himself.
The story is about a tragic set of circumstances - not about the social "failings"
of this country or the drinking habits of this man.
Benefits? How do you know his partners weren't self sufficient and the kids don't need benefits.
How do you know they claim anything at all. How do you know that despite being a traveller he wasn't independently wealthy and chose to live how he did?
Quite Simply - You don't! You presume, and you judge..
Everyone has their vices, makes mistakes, and no one can control the families they are born into, and that includes you.”
by delboy1948
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 11:09AM
“No wonder the planet, and especially this country, is getting so overcrowded. I mean to say, 35 children, think of the child benefit that cost the rest of us. Disgraceful!”