QUESTIONS still remain over the death of a man whose body was found approximately a week after dying in his flat.

Robert Daniel Davies, 62, died at his home in Grosvenor Gardens, Bournemouth, in July last year.

He was found after his neighbour became concerned when he hadn’t heard from him in a week.

The inquest into his death was held at Bournemouth Town Hall on Friday, but proved inconclusive.

The divorced father-of-two lived on his own in a block of flats and had a history of chronic back pain.

One resident of the flats, Cornelia Alexander, who lived below Mr Davies, said she would often hear Mr Davies arguing with a “smaller man” in the flat above.

She said on July 19, she heard the arguing followed by a loud thud. Ms Alexander said that was the last she heard.

“I was on the phone to my friend and they started arguing. About 15 minutes into our conversation there was this enormous crash like a really heavy thud.

“Then it sounded like a load of plates falling. Suddenly I heard the little one, it was his footsteps rushing away.”

Another resident, Robert Adams, said he believed he was at home at the time Ms Alexander said there was an argument, but did not hear anything.

He phoned his landlord on July 25 after not hearing from Mr Davies for a week.

Staff arrived, opened his flat to find him collapsed and unresponsive.

A post-mortem was carried out which found no signs of trauma or traumatic injury, but toxicology reports could not be taken due to the decomposed state of the body.

Police attended, and DS Jon Sainsbury told the inquest the TV had been left on and there was no duvet on the bed. He said the duvet was found in the communal bin outside.

He said: “The crime scene manager said it would have been about a week he was there. No material indicated third party involvement but I wouldn’t definitely say no third party involvement.”

Dorset coroner Rachael Griffin recorded an open conclusion at the inquest, saying it was not clear how exactly Mr Davies died.

She said: “I have insufficient evidence to the appropriate standard to record any conclusion other than an open conclusion.

“The only person who knows what happened and could tell me what happened is Mr Davies himself.”

Ms Griffin recorded the date of death as July 25, the date he was found, and recorded the conclusion as open.