Inquest into the death of Rhyan Dickson

23y · Male·complications of blunt force head injuries

Rhyan Dickson, aged 22, died on 4 January 2013 at Canterbury Hospital from complications of blunt force head injuries sustained on 16 October 2011 when he was unprovoked and punched by Darryl John Stacey, causing him to fall and strike his head on a concrete kerb. He suffered a fractured skull and severe brain injury requiring a tracheostomy tube for respiratory support. Despite numerous life-saving medical interventions, he remained profoundly neurologically impaired and eventually entered palliative care. He developed respiratory distress and arrest on 3-4 January 2013. The coroner made no clinical recommendations. The case illustrates the tragic consequences of non-medical trauma; no medical errors were identified.