Woman dies after choking at 85th celebration meal, inquest told

Margaret Bozzini, of Fairlight Avenue, had to be rushed to the Conquest Hospital following the incident on October 18 last year but sadly died the next day.

An inquest into her death was held on Wednesday.

Dr Hassan El-Teraifi, Conquest pathologist, who carried out the post-mortem examination, said Mrs Bozzini, a widow, died after food became lodged in her throat.

Her son Nicholas, who lives in East Grinstead, said: "It was my mother's 85th birthday and the family arranged to take her out to a restaurant on the way to Rye.

"She ordered a steak and wanted a ribeye one. It wasn't available so she had sirloin.

"Everything was going well and she was enjoying a gin and tonic with her meal."

But shortly afterwards Mrs Bozzini got into difficulties before collapsing.

Mr Bozzini tried to dislodge the steak by slapping his mother's back several times before paramedics arrived.

She was put on a ventilator at the Conquest to help breathe but passed away the next day.

In a statement her GP, Dr Isobel Horsley, of Harold Road Surgery, described Mrs Bozzini as an 'alert and active' woman who lived alone.

Coroner Alan Craze recorded a verdict of accidental death.