A 102-year-old man with dementia died after suffering critical injuries when he fell from a pub stage, an inquest at Gwent Coroner's Court has heard.

Phillip Ormerod, a great-grandfather, was taken to hospital on August 1 after falling at The Crow's Nest pub in Cwmbran, South Wales. He died 11 days later on August 12.

Senior coroner Caroline Saunders stated that Mr. Ormerod was admitted to hospital with a fractured hip. His condition deteriorated despite medical treatment, and he spent nearly two weeks in intensive care.

According to pubgoers, Mr. Ormerod, a regular at the establishment, had wandered onto the stage while the band SuperHans was performing. He had reportedly asked the band to turn their music down.

Witnesses claimed the centenarian was then shoved away and fell backward onto the floor. A 56-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault following the incident and has been released on bail.

Details of a post-mortem examination are pending further testing. The coroner noted that the inquest was opened because Mr. Ormerod suffered an "unnatural death."

Mr. Ormerod, born in 1923, was a former design engineer and served as a toolmaker during World War II before joining the merchant navy. His son, Robert Ormerod, identified him and stated that his father was a popular character at the pub, where he would visit two or three times a week.

Robert Ormerod described his father as "a bit of a character" and mentioned that his eyesight had deteriorated, and he had been diagnosed with dementia a few years prior. He expressed a hope for justice following the incident.

The Crow's Nest pub released a statement acknowledging the "tragic circumstances" and stated that they would not comment further as the matter is under police investigation. They urged anyone who witnessed the incident to contact the police directly. The pub's thoughts were with Mr. Ormerod's family and friends.

An inquest into Mr. Ormerod's death has been provisionally scheduled for May of the following year. The coroner indicated that the inquest would be formally suspended until the conclusion of any criminal investigations.