THE pandemic lockdown contributed to the death of a Jehovah's Witness who was forced to shield, an inquest has heard.

Brian Oswald Cobb, aged 82, who regularly took his door-to-door ministry into the community, died at Poole Hospital of a heart attack after being sectioned with severe depression.

Mr Cobb, a retired water treatment officer who lived in Bournemouth with his wife, Doreen, had been forced to shield during the early stages of the pandemic.

On Wednesday, December 30, at Dorset Coroner's Court, Bournemouth Town Hall, an inquest was held to examine the circumstances surrounding his death.

Coroner Rachael Griffin, who presided over the hearing, read evidence in the form of statements which had been provided by Mr Cobb's wife and medical experts who treated him.

Mrs Cobb said her husband was a "sociable man" who found it "easy to make friends" and "enjoyed interacting with people in their door-to-door ministry."

But Mr Cobb suffered from high blood pressure and vascular heart disease, along with his history of depression.

In his wife's statement, of which excerpts were read to court, she said that she felt the lockdown had affected him adversely.

Mrs Griffin said: "He (Mr Cobb) was a gentleman who battled over the years, it would seem, with his physical and mental health.

"He had suffered with depression and had had periods of his life where his health had been significantly impacted by depression.

"In recent years he had remained stable in respect of his mental health, engaging with the relevant services.

"However, from the evidence I have before me it was around July 2020 when his mental health started to deteriorate.

"It would seem the impact of the lockdown and the impact of Covid-19 had a considerable impact upon Mr Cobb himself, in that he was a sociable person and he found it difficult not socialising as he usually would.

"But then when the time came for him to socialise again he felt that difficult to deal with."

On September 20, 2020, a Mental Health Act assessment was undertaken on Mr Cobb - who was being treated in hospital with sepsis and depression – and it was felt necessary to detain him under Section 2 of the Mental Health Act for further assessment.

At that time he was at Poole Hospital and he remained there until September 29, when he was transferred to St Ann's Hospital.

He was readmitted to Poole Hospital on October 1 because of his deteriorating physical health.

The inquest heard that his depression had taken such a toll that he had reduced his oral intake significantly.

On October 6 he was detained at Poole Hospital under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act for treatment.

His condition had started to improve but he suffered an 'acute deterioration' in his condition on October 12, the inquest heard.

He died of a heart attack the following day.

Recording a conclusion of death by natural causes, Mrs Griffin said: "At the time of his death Mr Cobb was under state detention.

"I am satisfied there are no concerns in relation to the treatment and care he received during that period of detention.

"It seems to me that on October 12 he suffered an acute deterioration, it would appear that was a myocardial infarction - in effect a heart attack.

"That is a natural occurring disease process."