Mystery still surrounds what or who caused the blunt force trauma that ended a battered alcoholic’s life, an inquest has heard.

Assistant deputy coroner Roger Whittaker said he was not satisfied 38-year-old Dean Holmes’ death in April last year had been accidental and recorded an open verdict so police could still resume investigations if new evidence came to light.

Yesterday’s inquest in Bradford heard Mr Holmes had turned up at a friend’s house in Great Horton the day he collapsed saying he had been arguing again with his partner Janet Higgins at the home they shared in Runswick Grove, Odsal and she had “gone off on one again”. Jack Heaton said Mr Holmes often turned up “battered and bruised” but this time had complained of a severe headache and went to lie down. Twenty minutes later he could not wake him.

Paramedics took him to Bradford Royal Infirmary where tests showed he had suffered a large brain haemorrhage.

Detectives were then called by hospital staff after family members raised concerns about Mr Holmes’ injuries. He also had cuts to his head and bruising on his body.

Forensic examination of Mr Holmes’ house found blood splattered throughout including the bottom of the stairs where it was claimed Mr Holmes had fallen, striking his head on a doormat’s metal rim.

Blood was also found in the living room on furniture, in a front bedroom where an assault at sometime had definitely been carried out because of blood-stained patterns on the walls, in a second bedroom where someone had been on the bed coughing up blood and in the bathroom where attempts to clean up blood had been made.

Mrs Higgins was cautioned and arrested on suspicion of Mr Holmes’s murder but when police went to the house she also had bruises, bleeding injuries and was intoxicated.

She told police “I loved him” when they told her he was dead, said Detective Superintendent Dave Pervin.

During police interviews she continually gave conflicting information, said Det Supt Pervin, but she denied inflicting any injury on Mr Holmes that caused his death.

She did however admit they had a violent relationship and that at times she was the aggressor, saying the assaults were “50/50”

A post mortem showed it had been a fresh massive brain haemorrhage that killed Mr Holmes on top of an old scarred bleed. He had a history of previous brain bleeds as well as alcoholic liver disease, the inquest was told.

Det Supt Pervin said investigations had not been able to establish whether Mr Holmes’ injury was as a result of a criminal assault, a fall or a combination of the two.