An alcoholic died two days before Christmas after he fell down the stairs, an inquest has heard.

Darren Razzell was found by his partner at the bottom of the stairs after she returned from church with her young daughter and became “hysterical”, according to police.

Mr Razzell had texted his partner, Mary Coleman, to say he felt unwell and was going to bed at about 7.20pm on December 23.

Mr Razzell, of Cromwell Road, Teddington, was staying at Miss Coleman’s house in Pigeon Lane, Hampton.

On her return to the house at about 8.30pm she made the grim discovery and neighbours heard her screaming.

Pathologist Dr Barbara Borek told West London Coroner’s Court on June 6, that Mr Razzell had a history of alcohol dependency, drug abuse and self harm.

Dr Borek told the court that the 49-year-old groundsman was found with 306mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, which would have put him almost four times over the drink-drive limit.

She said: “The effects on somebody of that level of intoxication, depending on how used to it they were, would expect them to be very intoxicated and having affects of being unsteady on their feet.”

She said Mr Razzell had a severe fracture to the base of his skull and bruises on his legs and body. He may have fallen backward due to the severity of the injury on the back of his head, she told the court.

Paramedics tried to revive him for more than 50 minutes, but Mr Razzell was pronounced dead that evening.

CID officers decided the incident was not suspicious at 10.22pm and not to take fingerprints at the scene.

Coroner Jeremy Chipperfield said: “On the balance of probabilities Darren Razzell was intoxicated and may have fallen down the stairs by accident and sustained fatal head injuries. My verdict would be accidental death.”