A PENSIONER who was devoted to his wife of nearly 65 years died after he was pushed by a fellow care home resident.

Severely frail Arthur Stanton had been living at Moorside Nursing Home, Durngate, since January 2018 and had daily visits from his wife Vera.

On April 21, the 96-year-old was said to be restless since around 2am and had been “constantly shouting out”.

An inquest into his death at Winchester Coroner’s Court on Monday heard that Mr Stanton used his zimmer frame to walk to the reception at about 6.30am calling for his wife and asking what time it was.

Home matron Deborah Macartney said: “At that point Mr A H came from the left side and they were both shouting, raised voices.

“It was along the lines of Mr A H saying ‘I will get the police, shut up’ and Arthur was shouting back at him.”

Night nurse Gina Tarajan saw Mr A H push Mr Stanton on the right shoulder but she was able to catch him and manoeuvred a guided fall.

The inquest heard that Mr Stanton usually made his way to the reception to meet Mrs Stanton every day at 11am and “preferred to be attached to his wife and preferred to remain in his own environment and that was his bedroom”.

Ms Macartney added: “That was his choice until the very day he died.”

Mr Stanton, who suffered from dementia, was assessed and taken back to his room. The following day it was decided whether the police should be called.

Mrs Stanton decided that the police were not needed, and at the inquest their son Mark said: “Filing an assault charge against a man with dementia was not particularly productive. We had to put it down to an unfortunate coming together”.

The former warden in a Christian nursing home was taken into hospital where it was determined he had broken his hip and was brought back to Moorside after surgery, but was taken back to hospital May 11 after he had contracted pneumonia and it was decided that only palliative care could be given.

Mr Stanton, formerly from Chandlers Ford, was returned to the “peaceful environment” of the care home where he died on June 2.

In tribute, his wife said: “He was a really lovely man, we had a lovely marriage. We had our ups and downs as everyone does. We enjoyed the years and look back with happiness.”

His son added that just days before Mr Stanton’s death they celebrated his 96th birthday, saying “he was on good form” surrounded by his family including grandchildren.

Assistant coroner Samantha Marsh concluded that the sequence of events leading to Mr Stanton’s death “started from that fall”, she added that she was “