A DETERMINED 83-year-old woman from Basingstoke died in hospital following a fall on the way home from the shops during lockdown, an inquest has heard.

Mary Ellen Maidment was on her way home, along Viables Lane, on May 18 2020, when she fell.

Winchester Coroner’s Court heard today (March 8), that her neighbour, Barbara Cutler, found her on the pavement near the back of the Golden Lion pub and called an ambulance.

Mrs Maidment was conscious and had not hit her head but struggled to hear as she wasn't wearing her hearing aid, and made no attempt to move.

Mrs Cutler recalled that she was talking about being in trouble, as she wasn’t supposed to be out and about.

At Basingstoke hospital, it was found she had suffered a fractured femur (hip), and she underwent surgery the following day.

Her recovery was going well until her condition began to deteriorate, and scans found she had a bleed on her brain. This led to pneumonia, and she passed away in hospital on June 15 from “multiple organ failure”.

Mrs Maidment’s daughter, Katrina Archer, said she had a “good relationship” with her mother, but that she was “stubborn”. She had “a lot of trauma in her life” and had become “more hard work” in her older years.

Mrs Archer added: “She lived on her own. She was quite able to do anything, go to the shops, walk without an aid, and she still drove a car. I used to phone her up every day and go up there around three times a week. During the lockdown, I would bring her shopping.

“She was a little bit stubborn, and this is why the accident occurred. She went out on her own when she shouldn’t have done.”

Mrs Archer said that her mum struggled with her nerves more following trauma in her life, including losing a daughter.

Her daughter continued: “She has a good life and never wanted for anything, but in her later years she was more hard work. She didn’t need aids for walking or anything like that, but she did suffer with her nerves which is understandable given everything she had been through. She was in as good health as you could be at 83 really.”

Area coroner Jason Pegg gave a verdict of narrative conclusion, given that “a number of conditions” led to Mrs Maidment’s death.

He said: “Mary Maidment, like many of her generation, was at times stubborn and on the day of her fall on Viables Lane had decided to head off shopping and suffered a fall. As a consequence, she suffered a fractured femur. The fracture was repaired, and all seemed to be going well until later in her treatment.”

Addressing Mrs Maidment’s family, he added: “You have my sincere condolences. She does sound to me like a bit of a character, and I am sure you have many fond memories of her and that you will cherish them forever.”