Pensioner died after mistaking chlorine tablets for mints at Fife home

A Fife care home where an elderly resident with Alzheimer’s died after eating chlorine tablets has been fined £270,000.

James McConnell (72) was a resident at Lomond Court in Glenrothes when he died in August 2015, a week after eating the disinfectant tablets.

He had found and opened a package which he thought contained strong mints.

The Health and Safety Executive said the company failed to assess the risk posed by several chemical products.

An HSE investigation also found the care home’s operators HC-ONE Limited failed to manage and review procedures for the delivery of the products for two years.

At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court,  County Durham-based HC-ONE admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Mr McConnell found and opened a package which had been left by a delivery driver. He ate two of the tablets thinking they were mints.

He later said to his wife, “I’m sorry, I didn’t think I had done anything wrong.”