A MAN died after stabbing himself in the heart with an electric drill as he helped friends fit out the inside of a fast food kiosk in Gloucester Green in Oxford.

Araz Ibrahem Saleh, 23, of Pipit Close, Greater Leys, Oxford, was fatally injured in the accident on November 30, 2010, Oxford Coroner’s Court heard yesterday.

Coroner Nicholas Gardiner was told the accident happened after Mr Ibrahem Saleh slipped and fell as he fixed metal panels to the kiosk walls.

Salam Kiras, a Kurdish man living in Oxford at the time of the incident, said in a statement Mr Ibrahem Saleh had been balancing with his left foot on a mayonnaise bucket and his right foot on a table.

He said: “He lost his balance and his left shoulder hit the wall while the drill was in his hand.

“Then I saw blood gushing out.”

The court heard Mr Kiras tried to stem the flow of blood before calling for help from a nearby kebab shop where staff called paramedics.

Mr Ibrahem Saleh was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital but died the following day.

Det Insp Suzette Allcorn told the inquest: “It was an incredibly unusual injury.

“But there was no evidence of any foul play, and the police conclusion was that this was a tragic accident.”

Mr Gardiner recorded a verdict of accidental death.