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A father choked to death at his daughter's wedding reception just hours after walking her down the aisle, an inquest heard.

Jagan Babwah, 73, beamed with pride as he gave his daughter Camela away during her lavish wedding ceremony at a picturesque castle owned by Jools Holland.

But just two hours later the cabbie began choking on a piece of lamb in the post-wedding feast and guests desperately tried to save him with the Heimlich manoeuvre.

Despite their efforts Mr Babwah suffered a cardiac arrest and was later pronounced dead by paramedics on May 31 this year.

Camela bravely decided to continue the wedding in tribute to her much-loved father, which is what she believes he would have wanted.

The 160-guest reception and evening party continued - but Camela never heard her proud dad's wedding speech.

(Image: CLN photos/MASONS)

Mother-of-one Camela, an admin assistant from Gillingham, Kent, said: "We have been planning the wedding for two-and-a-half years and he was forever talking about it.

"In the morning he was so happy. He had never worn a proper three-piece suit and I was his baby daughter.

"As he was about to walk me down the aisle he started to cry. It was the first time I've seen him cry and it started me off.

"It was such a hot day and when we were having the meal I told him to take his jacket off but he wouldn't. He looked so smart."

Mr Babwah arrived at the wedding at Cooling Castle in Rochester, Kent, with his daughter in a Rolls Royce and sat in the front row with wife Shanty, 67.

He was sitting on the top table during the wedding breakfast when he started to choke.

The father-of-four, also of Gillingham, was escorted outside while a worried Camela, 35, waited patiently at the top table for him to return - but he never did.

Paramedics were called at 5.30pm but Mr Babwah had suffered a cardiac arrest and was found pronounced dead at 6.20pm.

Distraught Camela was taken into the same room where her beaming father had given her away to be told the tragic news.

She revealed that the hardest point was when she had to open up her father's wedding card the very next day.

(Image: CLN photos/MASONS)

"To be honest opening the card was the hardest part," she said.

"I opened it the next day and he had given us some money towards our honeymoon.

"We were thinking of going to Mexico but we had to cancel it.

"Now I can't put my wedding cards up because I have so many sympathy cards.

"For weeks after I felt like I didn't want to celebrate. It just didn't seem right."

Coroner Patricia Harding recorded a verdict of accidental death at an inquest at Archbishop's Palace in Maidstone on Wednesday.

The coroner recorded the cause of death as inhalation of food.

Camela's brother Anill, 37, who was by his father's side during his final moments told the inquest his father was "the most unselfish man

you could ever meet".

The father-of-two, who was also John's best man, said: "I was sat next to him. He was jovial.

"It was the first time he had been in a Rolls Royce and he was saying how nice it was.

"Dad would have been angry if he thought his daughter's wedding was cancelled because of him. His family meant everything to him."

Addressing Camela and her brother Anill, coroner Ms Harding said: "I am sorry. This is a very sad affair and for you it must be particularly difficult for Camela."

Cooling Castle in Rochester, Kent, regularly hosts weddings and lies just yards away from the home of musician Jools Holland.