A MAN plunged 20ft when he tried to climb out of a third floor window after his brother locked him in a Halesowen drinking den, an inquest heard.

David Lewandowski suffered multiple injuries and died later in hospital following the fall from the window of the Hagley Road bedsit, where a few weeks earlier a friend had died from a drugs overdose.

An inquest in Dudley today heard that Mr Lewandowski, aged 50, who had been drinking heavily, used a wire curtain rod attached to the window catch to try lower himself from the window.

Sergeant Neil Bason said Mr Lewandowski’s brother Zenon, had locked him in the bedsit when he went out leaving him without a key.

But he said it was not thought his brother had locked him in “maliciously” although the details lacked clarity because they had both been drinking.

Mr Lewandowski, a roofer, of Cavalier Drive, Halesowen, died in Russells Hall Hospital early the next day on August 14 last year from extensive bleeding as a result of multiple injuries.

Black Country coroner Robin Balmain recorded a verdict of accidental death, saying he did not think he would have attempted to climb out of the window if he had been sober.

Sgt Bason said there had been a lot of anti social behaviour emanating from the bedsit and outside the inquest, he said key holder Kenneth Lawrence had given Zenon Lewandowski the key and left the area following the death of a mutual friend on July 24.

Daren Haden, who was said to have “died from a broken heart” after family deaths, had gone to live with Mr Lawrence at the bedsit.

At his inquest, held earlier today, pathologist Dr Swapna Ghosh said the 42-year-old died from an overdose of methadone, prescribed to him as a heroin substitute, and was suffering from alcoholism.

PC Ian Priest, who was called to the bedsit, said Mr Lawrence had dozed off and woke to find his friend prostrate on the floor.

David Lewandowski was always present and PC Priest said the three men were well-known to Halesowen’s neighbourhood police officers.

“I do not recall seeing him (Mr Haden) sober,” he said.

Stephen Draper, from Weoley Castle, Birmingham, said Mr Haden “died from a broken heart” after giving up following the death of his parents and grandfather within two years, and losing touch with his teenage children.

Mr Balmain recorded a verdict of accidental death.