Man who survived bike crash died because he couldn't have his usual four cans a day of Stella Artois in intensive care Victor Pickston, 51, had a cardiac arrest after suffering alcohol withdrawal His brother told an inquest he used to buy the strong lager every day Mr Pickston, from Epsom, Surrey, walked out of hospital but later collapsed Gardener won fame after he sent a hoax Tabasco sauce bomb to a pub A gardener put in intensive care after crashing his bicycle died of alcohol withdrawal because he wasn't drinking his daily pack of strong lager, an inquest heard. Victor Pickston - a well-known prankster who was spared jail for sending a hoax bomb to a pub - broke 11 ribs and cut his left kidney when he crashed into a wheelie bin, tumbling over the handlebars. He survived but doctors at St George's Hospital in Tooting, south London, grew worried when the 51-year-old became delirious. Despite treatment, he died a week later of a cardiac arrest. Tragic: Victor Pickston, 51, died in intensive care at St George's Hospital in Tooting, south London (pictured) - not because of a serious bicycle crash he had suffered, but because he missed his usual dose of Stella Artois The gardener was cycling home at lunchtime on January 11 when he careered into a large wheelie bin on the pavement in his home town of Epsom, Surrey, an inquest heard. Drivers who dialled 999 reported a 'strong smell of alcohol' on him and he was taken to Epsom General Hospital, where he discharged himself later that day because he was 'getting bored' of waiting to be seen. Tipple: Mr Pickston favoured Stella Artois, a strong lager of 4.8 to 5.2 per cent, his brother said That evening he collapsed in pain at his girlfriend's house and was taken to St George's Hospital, where he was admitted to intensive care the next day. His condition deteriorated and after two negative brain scans, medics diagnosed him with alcohol withdrawal syndrome and gave him medication and vitamins to combat its effects. Despite their efforts, Mr Pickston suffered a cardiac arrest on January 18 and could not be resuscitated. Mr Pickston's brother Lawrence told an inquest his brother was not an alcoholic and never seemed drunk. He said his brother bought four cans of Stella Artois, a strong Belgian lager which typically has an alcohol content of 4.8 to 5.2 per cent, after work each day. He added: 'He held down a job, he looked after my father who was in his 80s and he looked after his invalid girlfriend," he said. To me, he did not have a drink problem. Whenever I saw him, he never seemed actually drunk. Pathologist Dr Michael Heath said Mr Pickston's heart had swelled to double the size of an average person. His liver was also twice the average weight, despite an earlier operation to remove half of the organ, which was described as 'incredibly fatty'. Mr Pickston also had a Body Mass Index of 33, making him clinically obese. The pathologist said: 'There's evidence Mr Pickston has used a little bit too much alcohol in the past. His heart was double its normal size. That could be due to high blood pressure and also because of alcohol. His liver was double the size despite half the liver being removed. That is due to chronic alcohol misuse over a considerable period of time. Crash: Mr Pickston broke 11 ribs and cut his left kidney when he was hurled over a wheelie bin in Chessington Road, Epsom (pictured). He discharged himself from hospital but was readmitted after he collapsed He was getting better and suddenly there appears to be a sudden deterioration. This was likely to be as a consequence of withdrawing from alcohol. Dr Heath said the lack of alcohol in Mr Pickston's system caused potassium levels in his blood to rise, leading to the fatal cardiac arrest. 'The biochemistry of the blood is so abnormal that it cannot be reverted,' the pathologist said. He gave the cause of death as cardiac arrest due to multiple injuries, with a secondary cause of 'established chronic liver disease with ongoing steatosis and cirrhosis, and acute confusion and delirium due to alcohol withdrawal syndrome'. The 51-year-old was a well-known prankster in Epsom, Surrey. In 2009, he received a suspended sentence at Guildford Crown Court after he admitted sending a hoax bomb to Ewell's Wheatsheaf pub in what was described as a 'practical joke gone wrong.' He left with a bottle of Tabasco sauce used in a Bloody Mary drink and sent it in a brown envelope to the pub the next day, along with a battery and a mobile phone. Prankster: The 51-year-old became famous after sending a hoax bomb to The Wheatsheaf pub in Ewell, Surrey, made out of a bottle of Tabasco sauce, a mobile phone and a battery. He also made pies from dog poo The incident sparked a full response by the Army bomb disposal squad and his barrister told the court: 'He does have a reputation as a bit of a joker. He once made pies out of dog poo. Coroner Karen Henderson recorded a verdict of accidental death. She added: 'It's clear there was a sudden, unpredictable cardiac arrest. We've heard a sudden cardiac arrest can occur because of withdrawal from alcohol. I find that was the case. 'Alcohol had played a significant part in Mr Pickston's life and it caused the damage that ultimately made it unsurvivable from this really unfortunate fall.' Mr Pickston's brother declined to comment after the inquest.