AN ELDERLY diabetic man was found dead in his locked car in ’unusual circumstances’ in Teignmouth, an inquest heard today.

Retired electrician Derek Woodley, 83, was discovered lifeless in the back seat of his vehicle which had been reversed into a gateway to fields at The Leigh in the resort on September 25 last year.

He had driven off from his home in Brimley Drive five days earlier, an act which had prompted his wife Valerie to later alert police about her serious concerns for his welfare. 

Mr Woodley, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1994, had been in the habit of ’taking off’ for the day, the inquest heard.

Mrs Woodley, in a statement, said it was ’entirely plausible’ that her husband may have slipped into a hypoglycaemic coma with little or no warning as his blood-sugar levels dipped.

A post mortem examination failed to establish the cause of death, although no diabetes-related tests were carried out. There was no evidence of disease, alcohol or drugs.

South Devon coroner Ian Arrow said the ’unascertainable’ finding left him no option but to declare an open conclusion. There were no suspicious circumstances.

The inquest heard there was no explanation about why Mr Woodley would have wanted to drive to The Lea.

Items found in the car included an empty coffee cup, paracetamol which he never used, his epi-pen and a hand-written note, the contents of which were not mentioned at the hearing in Torquay.

Mr Arrow said that, despite the diabetes which was under medical control, Mr Woodley was a fit man.

Mrs Woodley said she did not believe her husband would have taken his life.

The couple, married for 58 years, had enjoyed ’a happy life together’ and made the most of their time.

She revealed her husband had suffered from hypoglycaemic episodes over the last 30 years and had sometimes gone into a coma. These had become more frequent, and with less warning, in the last 18 months.

The inquest heard that a member of the public had found Mr Woodley in the car which had been parked up in unusual circumstances in a country lane. Police were called.