A former headteacher and rugby star died aged 63 after a 'tragic accident' at his home in Salford. On the evening of October 9, 2021, Michael John Stobart watched a game of rugby with his friends and took his two Labradors for a walk.
But the following day he was found dead at the bottom of the stairs at his home on Hayfield Road. An inquest held on Monday (March 14) at Bolton Coroners' Court found he would have had 'notable drunkenness' and that he was on multiple medications that could have made him dizzy.
However, the coroner, Timothy Brennand, said that there was no evidence to suggest these factors resulted in him falling down the stairs. "This is a tragic accident, it seems to me," Mr Brennand said.
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Mr Stobart was born and raised in Riddlesden, West Yorkshire, and was an 'excellent back row player' for Keighley Rugby Union Football Club in the late 70s and early 80s and later on for Bradford. In 1981, he was part of the Keighley team which won the Bradford Metropolitan 7-a-side Competition, the club's website reports.
He later relocated to Manchester and played for De La Sale RUFC. Mr Stobart was also a P.E. teacher and was most recently the headteacher at the Belmont Special Educational Needs School in Rawtenstall, Rossendale, Lancashire.
He lived alone at his address in Salford and had two children, 13-year-old Erin and Guy, who is in his 30s. His ex-wife, Carolyn Stobart, and Erin's mother, said that he was an 'extremely good father' and that he was 'much loved' by his daughter.
She found Mr Stobart dead at his home on October 10 at around 5.30pm. "It was obvious to me he had fallen down the stairs," she said in her evidence submitted to the coroner.
She wondered if Mr Stobart had tripped on one of his dogs when he went to the toilet in the night or if his medications made him dizzy as their daughter 'was worried about him potentially falling over'. Mr Brennand said this information was 'helpful' but that he could not theorise exactly how he fell.
His brother, David, said: "Michael was much loved and is very sadly missed." "It seems that Mr Stobart was a decent, hard-working and extremely loved brother, father, and teacher," the coroner said.
David Stobart has set up a fundraiser to pay for the upkeep of Michael's horse, Rupert, with he looked after with his daughter Erin. "This fund has been set up to help continue the care for the horse and to provide Erin with the comfort that Rupert will be looked after and kept healthy going forward," he said.
Mr Stobart's GP, Tom Tasker, said that Mr Stobart has a 'history of depression' as a result of his divorce in 2017 and unemployment. But he had not been to see him in the last six months before he died.
Pathologist Daniel du Plessiss said that there was a 9cm cut on his scalp and that his cause of death was a traumatic spinal cord injury. A toxicology report found that he was over two times the drink-drive limit but that his blood alcohol was still at a level 'well below' being fatally toxic.
Mr du Plessis said that there was some evidence the anti-depressant medications he was prescribed could have contributed to his fall in combination with alcohol but that they were not 'directly implemented in his death'.
In concluding the inquest, Mr Brennand said that Mr Stobart had not drunk alcohol to the extent that he could 'not find his own way home'. He was also able to take his two dogs for a walk, as was recorded on his ring doorbell.
He said that Mr Stobart has fallen a 'significant distance' from an upper step and that he hit his head on a catch on the way down. Mr Brennand conveyed his condolences to Mr Stobart's family and friends and that he hoped the inquest provides them with closure to cope with his death.
