A police investigation into three care home residents who died in one night has concluded – with one death deemed to be “unnatural”.
Police responded to reports of unexplained deaths of three residents at Gainsborough Care Home in Ulwell Road, Swanage at 7.16am on October 23, 2024.
In an update released by Dorset Police, the death of a 91-year-old man is thought to be unnatural. He was found dead along with a 74-year-old man and an 86-year-old woman.
An inquest is to be held, at a date to be set, into the 91-year-old man’s death, while tests have shown that the other two residents died from natural causes, a police spokesman said.
The force added: “While the findings indicated the cause of death for the 91-year-old man was believed to be unnatural, inquiries have not revealed any third party involvement or contribution of environmental factors that require further police investigation.
“Officers will continue to assist HM Coroner during the inquest process”.
An investigation, led by Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT), was launched along with a multi-agency response due to the unusual circumstances involving three deaths and no immediate confirmed cause.
With fears of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, a 60-year-old local woman was arrested as part of the investigation and later released without charge.
A force spokesman added she was arrested in order to gather all available evidence and provide legal protection to the individual involved.
MCIT Detective Chief Inspector Neil Third said “a range of complex inquiries” have been carried out as part of the investigation.
He said: “Throughout our investigation we have continued to work closely with partner agencies and HM Coroner, and have kept them informed with updates from our findings.
“We were duty bound, and indeed the public would expect us, to fully investigate the circumstances of the deaths. All agencies worked closely together and the relevant experts were consulted.”
Detectives have ruled out a leak of carbon monoxide from the care home’s boiler or any other gas appliances.
Examination of the scene has also ruled out any “other apparent environmental factors that may have contributed to the deaths”, the spokesman said.
DCI Third said: “At the forefront of our minds have been the families of the three individuals involved, as we have conducted exhaustive inquiries into the full circumstances of the deaths of their loved ones.
“We have kept them fully updated and would like to thank them for the way they have conducted themselves over recent months as we carried out a range of complex inquiries.
“We also fully recognise the impact of these deaths and subsequent investigation had on the local community in Swanage and we want to thank residents of the town for the way they have rallied round to support those affected.”
Seven people were taken to hospital as a precaution and were not in a serious condition, the force said at the time.
Other residents from the address were evacuated and moved to other homes until they could be returned to the Swanage care home.
DCI Third added: “I particularly want to thank residents of the care home and their families who were displaced as we carried out inquiries at the scene to determine that there was no ongoing risk to the public.
“We have endeavoured to share information with the public wherever possible in relation to our ongoing investigations, to be transparent and prevent speculation and misinformation.
“However, it was also important that we did not prejudice any potential findings until all outstanding inquiries had been fully resolved and expert evidence was received that enabled us to reach our conclusions.”
