A Cornish builder suffered a heart attack and died less than two hours after confronting two youths who were breaking into his car, an inquest has heard. Ronald Wicks, 53, pinned one of the youths on the ground with his knee after seeing him trying to steal a BMW car from outside his home in February 2003.
Shortly afterwards Mr Wicks, from Falmouth, stood up and walked into the house where he collapsed against the door.
His son Shaun managed to resuscitate him before police and an ambulance crew arrived but Mr Wicks died at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro.
 If it hadn't happened, he would still be here  |
Shaun Wicks told the Truro inquest that his father held one of the offenders in a citizen's arrest prior to his collapse.
Heart problems
"My dad is normally strong but I could see he was finding it harder to keep him there," said Mr Wicks.
"Normally he wouldn't struggle because the boy wasn't very old, but the lad was struggling and protesting.
"If it hadn't happened, he would still be here."
But evidence from Rolf Hohle, a pathologist at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, showed that Mr Wicks had heart problems and could have died at any time.
Recording an open verdict, West Cornwall coroner Dr Emma Carlyon said the heart attack could have been triggered by the stress of the incident.
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