The death of former Aston Villa and Cardiff City star, Peter Whittingham was subjected to a coroner inquest recently and the argument was that the death of the former England under-21 star was an accident.
On 7 March 2020, Peter Whittingham joined his in-law Robert Williams and his friend Ryan Taylor at a Pub in South Wales to watch Wales v England in the Six Nations. He reportedly got to the Pub in the afternoon and drank alcohol until the evening of that day.
After the game and hours of drinking, Peter Whittingham decided to take a walk through the corridor of the Pub. Based on evidence obtained via CCTV footage, the late footballer who died at the age of 35, was seen engaging in horseplay with his friend and in-law.
Afterward, he walked off the corridor, distance from CCTV coverage, and used the fire exit. At that point, he was said to be unstable due to the influence of alcohol. Hence, he lost his balance and fell off the stairs.
Unfortunately for Peter Whittingham, he fell and hit his head on the ground. However, he didn’t die on the spot, he was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
The former footballer suffered a series of trauma due to the fall and on the 11th day at the hospital, the medical personnel couldn’t manage the situation anymore which led to his death.
During the coroner’s inquest into the cause of his death at Pontypridd Coroner’s Court in Wales, Peter Whittingham’s in-law confirmed to the court that he and the ex-footballer drank for hours before he fell off the stairs at the Pub.
“I walked over to him to offer my hand, thinking he would just take it and I would help him back up to his feet. When I looked more closely at Peter, I could see he wasn’t moving and something was wrong,” he told the court.
Peter Whittingham’s wife, Amanda told the court that his late husband left the house in a hurry to catch up with the rugby game involving Wales and England. She disclosed that Peter had only eaten breakfast before he left home.
After the hearing, Coroner Graeme Hughes concluded that the former Cardiff City center-midfielder was not murdered but died by accident.
The Coroner said: Mr. Whittingham had “consumed a quantity of alcohol that has likely impacted on his demeanor and steadiness” before he fell.
“During a period of horseplay with a friend and a relative he appeared to have lost his balance, traveled through or caused to open the fire door, fallen, and as he did so his head has come into contact with the steps”, he added. “This has led to a traumatic head injury.”
Highlights of the football career of Peter Whittingham
Peter Whittingham hit the limelight when he won the 2001-2002 FA Youth Cup which propelled him to earn his first Premier League game less than a year later.
However, he couldn’t establish himself at Aston Villa and had to move to Cardiff City for a transfer fee worth £350,000.
Peter spent 11 years at Cardiff City where he made 457 appearances and scored a total of 96 goals. He left the club in 2017 as the seventh on the list of all-time appearances and the 9th all-time highest goalscorer of the club.
He took Cardiff City to the final of the FA Cup in 2008 and the League Cup final in 2012. He also led Cardiff City to win the 2013 Championship.
Peter Whittingham ended his football career at Blackburn in 2018 after he and the club agreed that his contract should be terminated. Afterward, he moved to South Wales where he has been living with his wife and son. His wife, Amanda, gave birth to his second son two months after his death.
