A 59-year-old has died 30 years on after being thrown 20ft out of a flat window during an assault, a court has heard. 

Christopher Lemmon, who had been living at Twin Oaks Nursing Home off Hudson Way in Norwich, died in hospital earlier this year on January 30. 

An inquest into his death this week heard how the former Caistor Hall chef suffered a traumatic brain injury following an assault in May 1992. 

This caused him multiple and severe injuries including a fracture to his skull and left him with reduced insight and cognitive deficiencies.  

Mr Lemmon’s family described the incident in which three males had attended his address where an assault had taken place. 

At the time, they had been unsure if he had jumped or was pushed but the men subsequently went to court and were sentenced. 

Evidence read out at Norfolk Coroner’s Court from Norfolk Police said the force had been unable to find any computerised records in relation to the assault. 

Eastern Daily Press: Christopher Lemmon pictured in 2001

A statement added: “Police advised prior to June 17, 1996, the law was that for there to be murder the death must have occurred within a year and a day of the act that caused death. 

“This is contrary to The Law Reform (Year and a Day Rule) Act 1996, so therefore police were legislatively prevented from progressing this to a homicide investigation.” 

Summing up the evidence, the senior coroner for Norfolk, Jacqueline Lake, said: “Mr Lemmon had multiple and severe injuries. 

“He was unable to communicate towards the end of his life and required constant care. He was very frail. 

“In the year prior to his death, he had had several hospital admissions including nine to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital (N&N). 

“He was at high risk of aspiration.” 

On January 24, Mr Lemmon became unwell, and an ambulance was called to take him to the N&N. 

Here he continued to deteriorate and died less than a week later on January 30. 

Mrs Lake gave a short narrative conclusion. She said: “Christopher Lemmon died from aspiration pneumonia as a result of traumatic injuries sustained in an assault in 1992.” 

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