A pathologist has told an inquest that a 27-year-old man died from acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by aspergillus pneumonia, with mould found in his lungs. Luke Brooks, of Oldham, lived in a privately rented end of terrace house with chronic damp, which his family believes caused his death.
Consultant pathologist Abdul Ganjifrockwala said aspergillus, a type of mould, was detected during a postmortem examination. He stated that, on the balance of probabilities, the mould was the cause of the pneumonia, as the organisms were present. The coroner, Joanne Kearsley, discussed how Brooks’s condition deteriorated over six days, with symptoms including a cough, rash, and sore throat, before he died in his bedroom after what a friend described as a seizure.
Ganjifrockwala noted that a viral infection may have made Brooks’s lungs more susceptible to aspergillus. He originally included “heavily mould-infested accommodation” as a contributing factor but deferred to other experts. Prof Malcolm Richardson, a medical mycology consultant, said aspergillus is not normally found inside buildings but is common on garden waste, posing risks to green bin collectors. He expressed frustration that tests at the home were not conducted closer to Brooks’s death in October 2022, as repairs had been made by April 2023.
PC Adam Rogers, who attended the death, took photographs showing exposed plaster and mould in the bedroom and bathroom. He noted dampness in his lungs when entering the bedroom, which was untidy with empty plates and beer cans. Brooks’s mother, Patricia, said the family moved into the house in 2014 and endured three years without heating or hot water, with mould and damp throughout. She had begged Oldham Council for alternative accommodation.
The inquest is overseen by the same coroner who ruled that two-year-old Awaab Ishak died from mould-related respiratory issues in Rochdale, prompting legal changes. Brooks was described by his mother as “funny, witty, intelligent, clever.”
