Mystery of student's city centre death
Mystery still clouds the death of a 20-year-old student who was found hanged behind a nightclub in Bath.
University of Bath student Gethin Bevan had been out on an organised pub crawl with friends on the night of his death.
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He had appeared happy and carefree throughout the night and was said to be undergoing a new lease of life after switching his degree course from maths to biology, an inquest heard today.
His father Cerith said after the hearing that there was no reason his son would have taken his own life, and that he had always been smiling.
Gethin, who was originally from Carmarthenshire in Wales, where his parents Cerith and Jacqueline still live, lived in Oldfield Park with two friends.
The inquest heard that on the night of his death a year ago, Gethin had attended a student pub crawl night called Carnage.
But the following morning the keen rugby player who was a member of Bath Saracens was found behind Club XL in Walcot Street by a passer-by, hanging from a tree by his studded belt.
The inquest heard that although Gethin had been down about failing his mathematics master degree he had recently changed courses and had been studying a subject he loved.
His housemate, Jack Wiggins, who was at the same university studying economics, told the hearing that Gethin had been a keen rugby and American Football player and was very popular on campus.
He said that Gethin had been in two minds about going out that night because he had an important presentation to do the next day.
Gethin, Jack and two other friends started their evening at the Rat and Parrot pub, in Westgate Street, before moving on to the Litten Tree at the top of Milsom Street.
Jack told the inquest that Gethin seemed happy during the evening.
The inquest were shown pictures from Gethin’s camera of images taken that night showing him smiling.
Jack said: "Everything was going right for him, he had recently switched course and any problems he had had were all sorted."
He said he had been shocked to be told of the death by police.
Coroner Terence Moore, who was told Gethin had drunk enough to put him more than twice the legal drink drive limit, recorded an open verdict.
He said: "I do not have any evidence to satisfy that he intended to take his own life equally there is no balance of probability that this was some sort of prank.
"I can only offer my sincere condolences for this loss."
Investigating officer, Det Con Colin Williams of Bath police, said after the inquest: "It has been unfortunate that the police investigation had not been able to provide a closure for the family and assist in the final movements of Gethin Bevan.
"My condolences go to the family for their loss."
After the hearing, Mr Bevan, who attended the inquest with his wife and daughter Sian, said his son had 'no reason' to take his own life.
He said: "That's what's hardest to deal with. If we could just attribute it to something."
Mr Bevan said his son was "brilliant" when at Amman Valley Comprehensive School, where he achieved four As at A-level and straight As in his GCSEs.
He said: "He was in a buddy system, where the senior students help the juniors. He was always smiling."
3 Comments
by Paul Wiltshire, Deputy editor
Monday, November 24 2008, 10:03AM
“To Gee and The Gnome: We included the information because it is clearly relevant in a death which occurred after someone had been on a pub crawl. If we had wanted to draw attention to the level of drinking to make a bigger deal of the issue we would have put it higher up in our report. I understand the family have been upset by other media who have made more of - and possibly "sensationalised" - the drinking aspect of the events of the night in question. They have expressed no such concern to us in in an email sent since this piece first appeared. The information about the level of alcohol in Gethin's system was read out at the inquest by the coroner - as is common in such hearings, as such a reading is the only scientific measurement available of the amount someone has consumed. I would argue that our report places the relevant information in the right context and order and that there has been no sensationalism on this site.”
by The Gnome, Bath
Monday, November 24 2008, 9:34AM
“Well said Gee, was it the coroner that said it or has someone at the Chronicle sensationalised the story? I wonder? If anyone knows the answer please add it here please.”
by Gee, Radstockshire
Friday, November 21 2008, 8:44PM
“¿Coroner Terence Moore, who was told Gethin had drunk enough to put him more than twice the legal drink drive limit,¿ So he had drunk the equivalent of 3 and a bit pints of normal strength beer. The reference to the ¿drink drive limit¿ is totally irrelevant and, I suspect, was a clumsy attempt at headline seeking.
Most people will read that factual statement, presented in that way, to believe that this unfortunate lad was drunk. I would suggest that such emotive and, probably, misleading language has no place in a Coroner¿s court.”