A FARM labourer died as a result of a freak accident as he returned home from a Millennium Eve celebration.

An inquest heard how Christopher Nelson fell into a rose bush after getting out of a taxi outside his home in Sherwood Road, Blackburn.

He was apparently unharmed, but the following morning his partner, Maria Butterfield, found him lying on the floor in the living room.

And as she frantically tried to save his life, he whispered: "I love you Maria," before closing his eyes for the final time.

A post mortem examination revealed that Mr Nelson, 40, had died from spinal cord compression as a result of a fractured spine.

Miss Butterfield said she had known Mr Nelson, a farm labourer, for 18 months.

He had moved in with her 12 months before his death and she said they had a happy relationship. They had gone to a friend's party on New Year's Eve and had enjoyed champagne before midnight and fireworks.

The couple had gone home in a taxi at about 2am and as Mr Nelson paid the driver Miss Butterfield went to open the door. She heard a noise and looked round to see Mr Nelson on the floor.

Miss Butterfield helped him into the house and he sat in a chair. Shortly after, he was asleep and snoring and Miss Butterfield went to bed. Not long after, her daughter came home and Miss Butterfield heard her talking to Mr Nelson.

The next morning Miss Butterfield went down and found Mr Nelson lying on the floor. She told him to get up but he said he could not and that his neck hurt.

Miss Butterfield shouted for her daughter to call an ambulance and at that stage saw his lips turning blue. She gave him mouth to mouth resuscitation but watched helplessly as he uttered his final words and died.

The post mortem examination said the injury was likely to have been sustained when Mr Nelson fell, banging the front area of his head. Deputy coroner John Birch recorded a verdict of accidental death.

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