A self-employed man with forty years experience re-upholstering furniture died after a what was described as a ‘giant sewing needle’ pierced his brain through his eye. Brian Pimley (61) of Dublin Road, Tyrrellspass, Co Westmeath died after a foot-long needle he routinely used as part of his work pierced through his brain to the back of his head.
The father of four was working on a chair in his workshop to the rear of his home when the accident happened on April 8 2014. “I noticed his tea going cold so I went out and saw him lying on the floor. I thought he’d had a heart attack,” his wife told the court.
“His exact words were, I stuck a needle in my eye, then fell backwards and heard a crack,” Mrs Pimley said. Advance paramedic John Marshall arrived to the scene at 2.26pm. “He had swelling to the left side of his face. His left eye was swollen shut,” Mr Marshall said.
Mr Pimley was rushed to Tullamore Hospital and later to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin where he died 24 hours later. The inquest heard the needle had pierced the man’s brain through his eye and to the back of his head. The cause of death was fatal hemorrhage as a result of the injury.