Man, 53, who died after ‘blowing up’ his house over £80 rent rise told friends ‘it’s going out with a bang’
A DAD was upset by a £90 rent increase and threatening to blow up his house on the day he died in an explosion, an inquest has heard.
David Howard was found in the rubble of his home in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, in April last year.
A post-mortem examination found the 53-year-old died from asphyxia caused by being trapped following the incident at around 7.40pm on April 12, 2025.
The inquest was told he was communicating with emergency services for up to 90 minutes before he died, reports the BBC.
A toxicology report found Howard had low levels of heroin, cocaine and alcohol in his system.
He had been diagnosed with PTSD and struggled with his mental health for several years.
Detective Constable Daniel Akehurst, from Nottinghamshire Police, told the inquest that officers had established that Howard was angry after finding out his rent was to be increased by £80.
He added on the day of the explosion, Howard had told friends he was going to blow up the house.
Pal Shanelle Williams, who spoke with him around 3.30pm that afternoon, told cops he’d said: “I’ve done it, I’ve pulled the pipes off the gas. It’s going to go with a bang.”
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service carried out an investigation into the blast, which destroyed Howard’s home and damaging nearby properties.
Watch manager Christopher Trendowicz told the inquest he believed an electrical spark from the fridge freezer was the “most probable cause” of the explosion.
Assistant coroner Nathanael Hartley added the level of intoxicants in Howard’s blood might have led to “mild, cognitive impairment”, impacting his rational thinking.
He recorded a narrative conclusion, and said: “It is possible he did not appreciate the dangerousness of the situation.
“With that in mind, I find [Howard] did not intend to end his own life.”
Speaking at the time of the explosion, resident Jonathan Hodson described hearing an “almighty explosion” – adding: “Fence panels were rattling and the windows were shaking.”
Karolina Ciolko, who lives nearby, said: “I quickly looked out the window and saw smoke.
“The car in front of me rocked and the alarm went off. We quickly ran out of the house to see what had happened.”
