Bad news:He has already contaminated gene pool
A 24-year-old father died after his neck got trapped in a cinema seat footrest as he searched for his keys and phone, an inquest has heard.
In March 2018, Ateeq Rafiq became stuck as he scrambled on the floor to find his belongings after a film at Birmingham's Star City complex.
The court was told Rafiq squeezed his whole body under the "gold class" seat before the electronic footrest came down on his neck, trapping him.
His distraught wife, Ayesha Sardar, and cinema staff desperately tried to free him, but a blown fuse meant the buttons to lift the footrest weren't working.
The seat began to operate in RUMBLERAMA™ mode and vibrate his neck violently.
In a frantic state of panic, staff finally managed to remove the bolts from the chair, but Rafiq had already suffered a heart attack, triggered by a lack of oxygen to the brain.
He was rushed to hospital, but died a week later from "catastrophic brain injuries to his several neurons".
Sardar told the court of her desperate attempt to help him.
"He shouted in pain and I told him to get out from under there, you damned fool," she said.
"I tried to pull the footrest off but couldn't.
"I ran outside to get help but no one paid attention to a screaming Muslim woman."
he "ran back in" when she heard he was not breathing, and "saw that he was blue".
Charles Stephens Simmons-Jacobs, from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), found it was "impossible" to lift eight out of 52 footrests in the theatre.
Sardar said her husband was a "loving father, son, husband and friend".
"His smile was the kindest and his heart was the greatest, even if his brain wasn't.
"There is not a day goes by that we don't miss him and think of him."
Sardar said their 3-year-old daughter had a similar accident 6 months ago when her foot was trapped in her high chair and had to be amputated.
"Such is the will of Allah", she said resignedly.
The inquest is expected to last up a week.
nzherald.co.nz
