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Fitness fan killed by gym weights

Friday 11 December 1992 19:02 EST
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A FITNESS fanatic died when 26 stone (170kg) of weights fell on his neck as he exercised, an inquest in Bradford was told yesterday.

It was an 'excessive' weight for Jimmy Richards, 31, an experienced powerlifter to attempt, the West Yorkshire coroner was told.

Recording a verdict of accidental death the coroner, James Turnbull, urged manufacturers of the special weight machine Mr Richards was using to consider making a fail-safe device.

The inquest was told that Mr Richards, of Bradford, died at the Phoenix Health Club in the city during a workout last month.

Dr Jan Lowe, a pathologist, said that death was from asphyxia due to compression of the trachea.

Mr Richards had been lifting 170 kilos when the weights fell on his face, hitting him under the nose. It was likely he had jerked up spontaneously and the weights had dropped on to his neck.

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