Augustine P Dooley

Augustine Dooley died from head injuries.

He had lived in Broad Lane, Coventry.

He died in the Birmingham General Hospital on 9 September 1962, a month after he injured his head.

He had attended a family gathering in Summer Road in Edgbaston on 12 August 1962.  Whilst there he had gone outside with another man to show him his motorbike and that whilst outside they found a naked child in the street and Augustine Dooley said to another child, 'Go and tell your mother to get some clothes on the little one'.

However, a woman then came out and started shouting and using abusive language and she pushed Augustine Dooley and he fell and hit his head on the pavement.

Augustine Dooley then went in.

Augustine Dooley's brother said that later on Augustine Dooley answered the door bell and found the woman's husband there and that he went out with him. He said that a few minutes later, realising there was trouble, he went out himself and saw the woman’s husband shaking Augustine Dooley against a wall and saw his head strike it.

After that, Augustine Dooley's brother drove Augustine Dooley and his wife home, however, the following Friday Augustine Dooley became ill after driving to Birmingham again and died from haemorrhage after head injuries.

When the police spoke to the woman, she said that when she had approached Augustine Dooley that he had told her to get the child dressed and called her a slut and that she had pushed him in the chest and that he had staggered back and fallen.

She said that her son was only two years old and was always taking his trousers off.

The woman's husband said that when his wife told him what had happened that he had gone next door intending to ask for an apology, but that Augustine Dooley had become aggressive and he had defended himself.

At the inquest, the Coroner noted that there had been a break in the chain of circumstantial evidence  about how Augustine Dooley received his fatal injuries, further noting that it was possible that Augustine Dooley had fallen from his machine during his second visit to Birmingham and hurt himself and had not told anybody.

An open verdict was returned.