Window Cleaner Catches Foot - Falls To Death

Hughie, a window cleaner in East Sussex dies after falling from ladder. Witnesses said that his foot got caught.

Window cleaner dies after falling from ladder in accident: A window cleaner has died after getting his foot caught in his ladder and plunging 15ft to the ground. Hugh Winfield, known as Hughie, was working in Western Road, Lewes, when the freak accident happened. The 51-year-old, who was due to become a grandfather again in three months, carried out rounds in Coldean, Moulsecoomb and Woodingdean as well as Lewes and rural East Sussex.

His death on Tuesday was followed two days later by that of his beloved pet Max, a Staffordshire bull terrier. Mr Winfield’s widow, Karen, said she believed the dog had died of a broken heart. Speaking yesterday from their home in Wolseley Road, Coldean, she said: “The vet said it was probably a coincidence but Max was very sensitive. “I will miss them both so much – I think they are together again.”

Describing what happened to Mr Winfield, who was nicknamed the Silver Fox by members of his darts team in Hollingbury, she said: “Witnesses said that his foot got caught and he sort of jumped backwards, hitting his head on the ground. “Last week everything was normal – now it has all changed.”

Mr Winfield died on his father Clive’s birthday and just two days before his mother Jackie’s birthday. His daughter Mikayla, who is six months pregnant, turned 24 on Thursday. Mrs Winfield said: “Everybody loved him. “He had a lot of friends and a lot of interests. Mr Winfield leaves a son James, 30, and daughters Lynsey, 26, and Mikayla, 24, stepsons, Kelvin, 34, Ross, 32, Scott, 29, and Jay, 25, his parents and siblings. An inquest will be held in due course.

Window Cleaners Pencil

Window cleaner killed himself with giant souvenir pencil, inquest hears: A window cleaner died after stabbing himself in the groin repeatedly with a jumbo souvenir pencil, an inquest heard. Jeffrey Burton’s family and friends were baffled by his bizarre death, which was recorded as an open verdict because there was no evidence he was trying to commit suicide. Mr Burton, 57, was found by police in a blood-soaked room in his house in St Leonards, East Sussex, on September 27. Worried neighbours raised the alarm after they were unable to get hold of him. When police broke into his house they found Mr Burton lying on his back, wearing only his underpants. The room was splattered with blood and music was still playing on his stereo. The giant blood-covered pencil was beside him. He had a deep gash in his upper thigh.

East Sussex coroner Alan Craze told the Hastings inquest: “It’s a mystery to me. If you were choosing to take your own life, that’s not the way you would do it. “It seems to me that it can’t have been a single stab wound. He seems to have worked on it. The pencil was blunt.”

Mr Burton’s sister Patricia Goodell told the hearing the pencil had sentimental value to her brother as it once belonged to their late mother. The inquest heard Mr Burton had suffered a single psychotic episode in 2006 but when he died he was sociable and healthy and looking forward to a holiday. He had never tried to commit suicide before and did not leave a note. Mr Craze said: “It doesn’t stack up. Something very strange has gone on. We will never know what has caused him to create this awful wound.”