Concluding, Dr Palmer said: "I don't have clear evidence of his intentions. There was no-one else involved.
"I can't be sure beyond reasonable doubt that he intended to die by his actions. "It is distinctly possible, but that is not enough.
"There's nothing to say it was an accident and it was not natural so I will return an open verdict."Coroners will, it seems, do almost anything to avoid a verdict of suicide:
Kit-Kuen Lai, 62, was found in his bedroom in a flat above Sichuan Garden Chinese restaurant in Brighton Road, Coulsdon, with his head wrapped in cling-film on September 9, last year.
The former Balham man had bladder cancer and gambling debts.
A post-mortem examination revealed he had swallowed some bleach before he died but Dr Palmer said it was unlikely this would have been what killed him.Yes. Clearly there's room for doubt....
Still, I salute you, Mr Lai - at a time when so many suicides seem to choose the option of hurling themselves in front of Tubes or trains, thus turning the poor bloody driver into an emotional wreck and leaving a ghastly scene for the emergency services - at least your exit was thoughtful.
And nor did you feel the selfish, self-absorbed need to take four innocent lives along with you...
9 comments:
The times I've accidentally drunk some bleach and wrapped my head in clingfm eh? There but etc.
WTF ???????????
Ranter
(Calm down Melv)
I think absent the bleach you might allow for other possibilities like say auto-erotica. But suffocation and poison? Cancer, age and debts?
I cannot see how this isn't suicide.
We should remember though that male suicide in this country is worryingly high. It also flies directly in the face of the do-gooders/charities who'd prefer men to die only from drugs, smoking, HIV, boy-racing or whatever the pet outrage the week happens to be. They certainly don't want more of them added to the suicide statistics... a totally unfashionable field with little fund raising potential or opportunity to meddle.
Cultural sensitivity at play, I think. A no-brainer had the deceased had an Anglo-Saxon surname.
Given the gambling debts, I can think of another explanation for how a man might be found with his head wrapped in cling film, having drunk bleach first. Makes a point to anyone else thinking of defaulting, does a death like that.
The cancer might just be coincidental but if I were going to dispatch a debtor in order to demonstrate my authority, I'd choose one whom, for other reasons, might not be paying me anyway.
I'm not au fait with CSI stuff. Is it possible to tell the difference from the SoC between somebody killing themselves and somebody doing so under direction?
The bleach would immediately start burning the soft tissue in the mouth, throat and oesophegous so I would find it improbable that a man in agony would then take the time to wrap clingfilm around his face. A plastic bag would have been easier to manage. Also, wonder where the end of the cling film was? If under the chin then possibly self inflicted as it's easier to reach. If at the back of the neck, it suggests a possible third party as this would involve having to stretch and why bother if you've I tending to pop your own clogs. Try it yourself, without the asphyxiation of course!
Penseivat
Clarelay ziss iss a grate miss-stary, mais, avec ze 'elp of ze leeetle gra sells and ma vair clevair amis on ziss site ah 'ave deuced zat ziss man is...........dead.
To my surprise, this place does well on TripAdvisor! Except:
the staff are arrogant and rude
food is always good but the staff are rude
Bloody waiters! But
He was found in a room he shared with other waiters lying on a bed with a curtain around
Probably not a very pleasant life for Mr Lai, the least we can do is let him die of unexplained circumstances.
And thanks for not doing what three people did last week on the Tube.
Sounds like the MO of the Red Pole Fighters of the Sap Sei Kei or the San Yee On triad societies to me.
Check with the Hong Kong Police, you'll find that this is not an unknown exit from this life.
"I cannot see how this isn't suicide."
Well, you'll never make coroner, then!
And yes, most train suicides and hangings seem to be male. At least they don't tend to take their children with them...
"Given the gambling debts, I can think of another explanation for how a man might be found with his head wrapped in cling film..."
One hopes our SOCO have discounted that.
"The bleach would immediately start burning the soft tissue in the mouth, throat and oesophegous so I would find it improbable that a man in agony would then take the time to wrap clingfilm around his face. A plastic bag would have been easier to manage. "
And as a waiter, easy to obtain?
"...you'll find that this is not an unknown exit from this life."
Good lord!
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