THE mother of a Morecambe man, who fell to his death from a three storey house, broke down and had to leave his inquest after hearing details of her son's death plunge.

Meanwhile police were completely exonerated in a report into the actions of several Morecambe officers leading up to the death of Brian Hann, 26, of Westminster Road.

There were complaints that police had been heavy-handed and may have used CS gas when Brian was trying to escape them by climbing through his window. The police were trying to arrest him after he didn't pay a taxi fare and then threatened officers with a hammer.

The report into the complaints was conducted fellow policeman Nicholas Housely from Merseyside constabulary who made his findings public at the inquest.

Summing up coroner George Howson condemned reports that witnesses to the inquest had been intimidated by a relative of Brian Hann prior to statements about police action.

He said: "It concerns me that there appears to have been an attempt to get a female witness to give evidence which in fact was not true. That, of course, is a very, very serious matter indeed. It appears somebody followed her into her solicitors, something you may find disturbing."

Brian's mother, Patricia Westworth, was in tears as she gave her testimony, but managed to whisper: "He was very soft and gentle at home. He wasn't nasty and had a really nice nature. Brian wasn't nasty. He had a reputation as a hard man, people treated him as a challenge he hated the police and the feeling was mutual."

Mrs Westworth left the room during the pathologist's report. One neighbour, Donna Green, who had been standing outside 197 Westminster Road during the incident, said she heard Brian shout "Get off." Her testimony was later criticised by the coroner. Two other residents in the house, Paul McNamara and Mal Green, didn't hear those statements heard by Donna Green but say police "stampeded" the place and a police dog was barking loudly.

Earlier police, some wearing riot gear, said they couldn't even find Brian when they re-entered the house after Brian had apparently threatened to kill PC Stephen Dixon with a lump hammer. One of them, PC Carl Wood attempted to give Brian Hann mouth to mouth resuscitation.

Verdict: misadventure.

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