A Northland woman who thought her husband had gone partying after having a pub meal discovered two days later he had died in the pub's toilet after choking on a piece of steak.
The cause of death of 58-year-old Kawakawa man Joseph Erepeta was disclosed at a coroner's inquest in Kaikohe this week.
Mr Erepeta and his wife, Bertha, had a meal of steak, eggs and chips at Kaikohe's Bank Bar on March 1, the Northern Advocate reported.
Two hours later, after drinking and playing the pokie machines, Mrs Erepeta decided to go for a smoke outside the bar and returned to find her husband had disappeared.
She said she thought he might have gone to another bar and asked around for him but had no luck finding him.
After waiting all night and the next day for him to contact her she decided to call police.
About 10am the following morning Mr Erepeta's body was found in the toilet at the Bank Bar by a cleaner.
When police officers arrived, they noticed there was vomit in the toilet bowl and false teeth on his stomach.
Coroner Brandt Shortland said a pathologist had completed a post mortem examination and discovered a "large piece of steak" had caused him to choke.
The Bank Bar's owner said usually the toilets were cleaned daily, but at the time in question staffing issues meant the bar had to stay closed on the day after Mr Erepeta choked.
