A FATHER-OF-THREE died after suffering trauma so severe it tore his insides, but questions loom over exactly how he sustained the fatal internal injury.

Confusion surrounds the death of Michael Peers, 37, who was found unresponsive in his Halliwell flat last year.

Paramedics arrived at the scene in Brownlow Way in the early hours of July 22, 2018, to Mr Peers, who struggled with alcoholism, in cardiac arrest.

Forensic investigations revealed Mr Peers had suffered a 10cm-long tear in the tissue connecting his organs, losing two litres of blood as he bled internally — enough that his heart began to fail.

Just what caused such an extreme laceration is still not certain, forensic pathologist Dr Charles Wilson told the inquest into his Mr Peers’ death, which began yesterday at Bolton Coroners Court.

Dr Wilson said: “You don’t see these kinds of injuries from falls, these injuries might appear in someone involved in a road traffic accident, in falls from a height, people who have been kicked by a horse.

“I am confident this man died as a consequence of severe trauma to his abdomen. The most probable cause would be kicking or stamping. It would have been extremely painful.”

Dr Wilson told coroner Rachel Syed that the injuries were sustained ‘within a few hours of him being found unresponsive’ and could have been caused being kicked or stamped while he was ‘laying on the ground’.

Mr Peers’ family say that in the hours leading up to his death he had been in contact with them about an incident with neighbours, Dave and partner Paula, at his block of flats.

Heartbroken mother Tracey Todd told the inquest of the distressing conversation among her son’s final words to her.

Ms Todd said she had spoken to her son on the phone at around 10.25pm on July 21, just a few hours before he was found, saying: “Mike said ‘Dave’s just grabbed me by the neck and punched me.’”

Mr Peers’ former partner Suzanne Penny had also received a text at the time from him reading: “Ring my mum, I have just had a murder, Paula’s fella punched me and the four smackheads upstairs jumped me.”

But such a serious injury would not have been caused by just a punch, according the pathologist.

Dr Wilson said: “Being grabbed by the throat would not cause this injury. Maybe Anthony Joshua might manage it, most people could not summon enough force to cause this damage from a punch.”

“Had he suffered the injury prior to the last time he was spoken to, I would have expected him to be in severe pain from his abdomen. Theoretically, alcohol could have numbed the pain.”

In the wake of his death, two people were arrested on suspicion of his murder but no charges were brought, with Mr Peers’ mum saying she felt ‘let down by the justice system’.

A Crown Prosecution spokesman said: “The CPS received a file of evidence from Greater Manchester Police in relation to two people who had been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Michael Peers. Having considered all the evidence the CPS concluded that the legal test for a prosecution was not met and we advised the police that no charges could be authorised.

“Following a request from Mr Peers’ family for this decision to be reviewed under the CPS Victims Right to Review scheme, the evidence was further considered by a legal manager who agreed that the legal test for a prosecution was not met.

“In our correspondence with the family of Michael Peers we have outlined the reasons for this decision. Our sincere sympathies remain with them for their loss.”

Issuing a statement after his death, the family said: “Michael was a big part of our family and was many different things to different people. To his mum, he was the one who shared the belly laughs.

“To his sisters, he was a clown and a torment and to his younger brothers he was the protector. He also had a fantastic relationship with Suzy. To his three children he was simply their world.”

The inquest continues today.