(Image: DURHAM POLICE)
A young man with a “heart of pure gold” died from pneumonia and a head injury six months after a County Durham crash, an inquest has heard.
Joshua Bainbridge died at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle on May 4, almost half a year after being involved in a crash in St Helen Auckland on November 8.
The 23-year-old former marquee erector was a passenger in a Ford Fiesta when it crashed into a tree on Leazes Lane, leaving him with life-threatening injuries.
An inquest opened into his death at Crook Coroners’ Court on Tuesday (August 11) heard how Joshua became a patient at Walkergate Rehabilitation Centre following the crash.
Coroner’s officer Alexis Blighe said Joshua, who was born in Bishop Auckland but lived in West Auckland, was then transferred to the RVI in April before his death the following month.
On May 6, Dr Sam Hoggard carried out a post-mortem examination at the Newcastle RVI Mortuary and gave the cause of death as pneumonia and blunt force head injury.
The inquest was adjourned for a mention hearing on October 6.
A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of death by careless driving following Joshua’s death earlier this year. Durham Police said the investigation remains ongoing.
At the time, his mam Rachel issued a heartbreaking statement describing how her heart had been shattered and her soul destroyed.
She said: “Rest in peace my darling boy, you were taken far too soon.
“God really does take the best because you were one of a kind – a proper gentleman with a heart of pure gold who had a real passion for fishing.
"I never once had any trouble from you – you were a son to be proud of, and I would pick you to be my son in every lifetime.
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“You will live on through me now, son, as I am going to learn how to fish so you can look down on me and have a good laugh at your old mar. I will make you as proud of me as I am of you.
“I want you to look down on me and say: ‘See her there, that’s my mam’.
She added: “No matter how big you are, you will always be mammy’s little soldier. We will meet one day again, and when we do, I will never let you go.
“All my love forever and always, son.”