A murder investigation was launched when Robert Brown was found on a bench with a knife wound, but an inquest into his death heard he likely died due to a freak accident. The 57-year-old father bled to death after accidentally falling asleep and being stabbed by a knife stored in his rucksack.
Discovery and Initial Investigation
Mr. Brown was found slumped on a bench beside a canal footpath in Northampton on August 1 last year. A passing cyclist noticed blood dripping through the gaps in the seat at around 6:30 am, prompting a large-scale police response. Detectives launched extensive searches of the River Nene and arrested three people on suspicion of murder, but all were later released without charge.
Detective Chief Inspector Torie Harrison of Northamptonshire Police said they initially thought Mr. Brown had been killed by a third party, or that the death was accidental or self-harm. However, after a thorough investigation, the murder inquiry was dropped in February this year.
Inquest Findings
An inquest heard that Mr. Brown, who struggled with alcohol dependency, likely died after drunkenly rolling onto a knife carried in his backpack. He may have fallen into a deep sleep, putting his weight onto the rucksack, which caused the knife to penetrate the bag. The single-edged five-inch blade cut through the bag and all three layers of his coat before slashing his arm, resulting in catastrophic blood loss from a 3 cm wound.
Northamptonshire senior coroner Anne Pember concluded that the case was a “tragic accident.” A post-mortem examination gave a provisional cause of death as acute blood loss from a wound to his left upper arm. The knife had no blood on it, but fibres on the blade matched layers of his coat, and traces containing a high amount of his DNA were identified. Police said the findings support that the knife belonged to the victim.
Family Tributes
Mr. Brown’s family paid a moving tribute, describing him as having “the gift of the gab and a heart of gold.” His parents and brothers said in a statement: “Rob was quite a character and always full of fun. He was our real-life Peter Pan – the boy who never grew up. Everyone who knew Rob just loved him.”
His son Daniel, daughter Tonia, and grandchildren added: “Our hearts are broken, but everyone's kind words bring us comfort and show how much of an impact our dad had on the people he met. Dad was a kind and loving man, and we will all miss him incredibly.”
His partner Julia said: “At school I always had the hots for Robert, he was the school heartthrob. Being with Robert there was never a dull moment. He would do anything for me, he was a selfless person and always put others first. I’ll hold on to our laughter and adventures.”
A verdict of accidental death was reached at the inquest.
