Inquest into death of former Cotswolds school headmaster
By Court reporter | 28th April 2023
An inquest has been held into the death of a much loved Cotswolds school headmaster whose former pupils included Princess Anne's daughter Zara Tindall, record breaking mountaineer Jake Meyer, rugby star Nick Abendanon and film director Oliver Guy-Watkins.

John Keyte, 86, who was head of Beaudesert Park independent school at Minchinhampton, near Stroud, for 25 years, died in hospital on October 1, 2022, after being admitted two days earlier following a fall.
Other notable past pupils of the co-ed school for 3-13 year olds included the famous 'Babe' childrens author Dick King Smith, former Admiral of the Fleet Julian Oswald and noted 17th century English historian Gerald Aylmer.
Mr Keyte, of Stroud Road, Painswick, Gloucestershire, who was himself a former pupil of Beaudesert Park, had served as head from 1970 to 1995. He was the grandson of Beaudesert's founder and first headmaster, Harry Richardson.
The inquest heard that Mr Keyte was admitted to hospital on September 29, 2022, with worsening shortness of breath following a fall. He had a history of another medical conditions with a background of congested heart failure.
Dr Rhys Evans, his GP, had given him a course of antibiotics to take four days before he was admitted into hospital for his coughing and shortness of breath. He had recently also suffered from a heart attack.
On arrival at the emergency unit at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital he was diagnosed with heart failure and fluid on the lung, which was further complicated by a chest infection, the inquest was told.
A chest drain was used to remove the pleural effusion and he was medicated. An electrocardiogram was used to monitor his heart's rhythm.
Mr Keyte was found to be severely hypothyroid TSH 40 - meaning that protein was unable to get into the cells, the inquest was told. He was also diagnosed with having myxoedema - swelling of the skin and underlying tissues which is typical in patients with underactive thyroid glands.
He was deemed as being clinically unwell and frail, the inquest heard. A management plan was introduced to clear fluid from his lung.
Two hours later the results of thyroid function test showed significant under activity of the gland and insufficient replacement of thyroxin hormone. Medication to combat this was administered but Mr Keyte remained unwell and began losing consciousness.
Mr Keyte deteriorated further through the night and developed new hypoxia - insufficient oxygen to maintain organ stability.
The family decided that as Mr Keyte was reaching the end of his life, there should be no further active treatment and the focus should be on making him comfortable. Mr Keyte died on October 1, 2022 at 2.35am.
Assistant coroner for Gloucestershire Roland Wooderson said that the medical cause of death had been given as decompensated heart failure, myxoedema and ischemic heart disease.
However, hospital specialist Dr Sally Thrower recommended that myxoedema was not certified as a cause of death because the under active thyroid gland, while being a contributory factor, had not contributed directly to Mr Keyte's death.
Dr Thrower said: "I was presented with a man who was incredibly unwell, and we undertook to do everything we could to make him better. Without having the additional tests back, we anticipated the possibility of an under active thyroid gland as he did not have enough hormone in his system, and treated him accordingly.
"These results did not appear on the system until after Mr Keyte had passed away. The results did show that he was just within the normal range, even if was at the lowest point, and had just enough hormone circulating at the time he began deteriorating.
"I don't feel it was as much a contributing factor to his death as first thought when he arrived at the hospital."
Mr Wooderson said that because of this conclusion, he was unusually considering removing one of the causes of death, because of what had become clear during the inquest from the evidence of Dr Thrower, that myxoedema was not the cause of Mr Keyte's death.
Mr Wooderson said he didn't do this very often and only recalled around half a dozen instances over the past 18 years.
Mr Wooderson recorded a narrative conclusion saying "Mr Keyte passed away on October 1, 2022, at the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital having been admitted on September 29th with a history of worsening shortness of breath. He was found to be severely hypothyroid, and his medical condition deteriorated. He died on October 1. His cause of death is confirmed as decompensated heart failure and ischemic heart disease.
Mr Keyte's son William thanked the coroner and his staff for their professionalism along with the medical staff who treated his father during his final hours. He declined to make any additional comment.
Following Mr Keyte's death last year, the school said: "We were incredibly sad to hear the news that John Keyte, former Headmaster of Beaudesert Park School, passed away.
"John was the grandson of Beaudesert's founder and first Headmaster, Harry Richardson, and worked as Headmaster from 1970-1995, completing 100 terms of service by the time he retired.
"John attended Beaudesert as a child from 1943-1949, before moving on to Radley College, and Trinity College, Dublin, after National Service. He and his wife, Josephine, took over from John's parents and uncles in 1970.
"Their tenure saw the school become an educational trust, as well as the enrolment of day pupils, weekly boarders, and girls, and the opening of the Pre-Prep department. While starting his Headship with 80 boarding boys, he finished with 270 day and boarding girls and boys.
"Of his retirement, Michael Stevens wrote in the 1995 magazine 'Beaudesert has been privileged to have had John and Josephine Keyte at the top for so many years. Their caring, dedicated approach has helped to give the school an enviable reputation and made it much sought after.'
"Affectionately referred to as 'Junket', John was never a stranger at Beaudesert. He and Josephine often strolled over to the fields for match days and enjoyed quiet strolls around the school during the peace of the holidays with former colleagues."
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