A THIRTY FOUR-YEAR-OLD man died after choking on a hot dog and collapsing in a Newport street, despite desperate efforts from medical staff to save him, an inquest has heard.

Benjamin Richard Ellis had been out with friends in the city centre on Saturday March 3, before heading home in the early hours of Sunday morning, Newport Coroner’s Court heard this week.

Mr Ellis had left friends and bought a hot dog, it was also said, before walking towards his home in Stow Hill. But he then began to choke, and collapsed.

He was found unconscious shortly after midnight by an off-duty nurse who tried to assist him before an ambulance was called.
Paramedics then performed CPR at the scene, and on the way to the Royal Gwent Hospital.

At the hospital, doctors failed in an attempt to insert a tube to help Mr Ellis breathe, before they performed an emergency tracheotomy.

By this time he had suffered what was described as a “catastrophic brain injury” due to lack of oxygen though. 

Mr Ellis spent four days in intensive care but did not recover. His life support machine was switched off on Wednesday March 7. 

Mr Ellis’ friend Charlene Smith said she last saw the shop assistant at around midnight on the night, and that he was “in good spirits but not drunk”. 

She said her and other friends had said goodbye to Mr Ellis outside Le Pub while he was smoking a cigarette. 

Ms Smith only found out what had happened on Sunday, when she saw a post on social media.

Dr Eloise Dawe, a consultant at the Royal Gwent Hospital, said staff fought to save Mr Ellis in a variety of ways, but were unsuccessful. 

Senior Coroner for Gwent Wendy James said the statements showed Mr Ellis had suffered a brain injury and commended the 34-year-old for donating his organs “which would have saved many lives”.

She recorded a verdict of ‘accidental death’.