Inspector Morse and The Bill star Tony Mathews “died unexpectedly” just hours after a routine surgery.
An inquest into Tony Mathews sudden death concluded on Thursday (March 6), with Coroner Sarah Clarke saying clinicians had been “perplexed” by his case.
The actor passed away in December 2024 but investigations into his death have been ongoing since the tragedy – adding to another tragedy from the cop drama’s cast.
The new update into the inquest has found that Tony suffered from an abdominal bleed, known as an intraperitoneal haemorrhage.
He had undergone an elective stoma reversal on December 13 at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent.
However, his abdominal bleed began after his surgery and it was worsened by the administration of anti-coagulant treatment, the coroner claimed. Despite showing signs of improvement, the TV star was later found dead on December 16, as a result of a cardiac shock.
Tony’s son Kent has released a statement which read: “My Dad, Tony Mathews was a loving father, and a talented actor and painter.
“He was a sharp, funny man and his energy always lit up a room. Even at the end he was making jokes with doctors from what we now realise was his death bed.
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
“The family are very thankful to the court and to our lawyer for all their work to find out what happened to him and come to a conclusion about how and why he died..
“It has been a thorough investigation, and we now have some closure, which is what we hoped for.
“Rest in peace, Dad.”
The actor was best known for starring in Inspector Morse, The Bill and Poirot, though he also racked up acting credits in the likes of The Duellists and The Governor.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk