An inquest has heard that acting legend and EastEnders star Timothy West ‘died peacefully’ following a fall last year.
Westminster Coroner’s Court heard that the actor, who played Mick Carter’s (Danny Dyer) grandfather in the soap, had a fall on August 11, 2024, resulting in him sustaining a ‘significant traumatic brain injury’.
Assistant coroner Ellie Oakley revealed that he was treated in hospital for about three months, and then moved to Wandsworth Common Care Home. He received palliative care there, before his death on November 12.
‘It is not possible to determine how the fall happened and there is no evidence of others being involved. Unfortunately he was not well enough to be discharged to his home despite receiving appropriate care in the care home’, she said.
Thomas Holden, the care home’s general manager, noted in a statement: ‘On 12 November his family were with him all day. They continued to stay with him in his room during the evening and he passed away peacefully with his family around him at 19:20.’
A statement released by his family last year read: ‘After a long and extraordinary life on and off the stage, our darling father Timothy West died peacefully in his sleep yesterday evening. He was 90 years old. Tim was with friends and family at the end.
‘He leaves his wife Prunella Scales, to whom he was married for 61 years, a sister, daughter, two sons, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. All of us will miss him terribly.
‘We would like to thank the incredible NHS staff at St George’s Hospital, Tooting and at Avery Wandsworth for their loving care during his last days. Juliet, Samuel and Joseph West.’
Born on October 20, 1934, Timothy appeared often on television and the stage. As well as his role in EastEnders, he also played a character called Eric Babbage in Coronation Street.
From 2014-2019, Timothy and partner Prunella Scales travelled around the UK and overseas together in the Channel 4 show Great Canal Journeys.
Tributes are pouring in following the news of Timothy’s death. Actress Tracie Bennett, a Coronation Street star, wrote on X: ‘Oh I’m so sorry about this. Loved Timothy since we met at Granada tv in the early 80’s. R.I.P Timothy West’, while fellow actor James Dreyfus said: ‘Marvellous actor. A constant in many of our lives. He shall be much missed. My thoughts with his family. RIP Timothy West.’
On Instagram, Danny Dyer commented on the tribute posted by the EastEnders account and said: ‘Can’t believe it’. Sam Strike, who previously played Johnny Carter, wrote on his Instagram Stories: ‘Gutted to learn of Timothy West’s passing. I remember thinking when he first showed up on set – this man is old school brilliance’.
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Timothy was introduced as Stan Carter, the father of established characters Shirley (Linda Henry) and Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White) in 2014.
Mick had visited him in desperate need of cash, and he later moved into The Queen Vic pub with his family.
The character was entwined in a love triangle with estranged wife Sylvie (Linda Marlowe) and Walford local Cora Cross (Ann Mitchell).
Stan was killed off the BBC soap in April 2015 after a battle with terminal prostate cancer.
This article was originally published on November 13, 2024.
