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Games Linked to—but Not Officially Blamed for—Man's Sudden Seizure Death

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Back in June in Birmingham, England, a rather large man died suddenly, a death the coroner has said was caused by an epileptic fit. Given the victim's love of video games, they were linked to the death during a hearing, although the deputy coroner investigating the matter stopped short of citing them as a cause.

Francis Haydock, 23, also weighed more than 360 pounds, had an enlarged heart, and zero history of epileptic seizures, according to his family. But the bite marks that a pathologist discovered on Haydock's tongue, and his tightly clenched jaw indicate a seizure.

Coroner's inquests are performed in a courtroom hearing in England. The victim's sister testified that Haydock would play video games daily; but deputy coroner Elaine Ormond-Walsh said only that "It is a possibility," that a game triggered the fatal seizure. "I am not going to make a conclusion and I do not think [the pathologist] made a conclusion in relation to that."

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Haydock's death, officially, was of natural causes, then.

Video games could have caused Aston man to have fatal fit [Birmingham Mail]