Avoiding The Obvious...

Coroner’s officer Kirsty Roberts told the court Mr Gardiner had a medical history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and self harm. She said: “He was reported as missing to the police and officers found him hanged on May 6.

“A postmortem examination on May 16 at Basildon Hospital gave a cause of death of hanging.

“Toxicology reports showed he was under the influence of cannabis and also found therapeutic levels of morphine, codeine and clonazepam and death was confirmed at the scene.”

Seems pretty cut and dried then. What do the experts say?

Temporary Inspector Darren Beer attended the scene and gave evidence at the inquest.

He said: “I got the call about Jack, who I knew through previous roles.

“I put him as a risk missing person, meaning there’s a risk of harm to himself or others.

“Based on the information I was given at the time there was nothing to suggest any third party involved or any suspicious circumstances, and I stand by that.”

Open and shut case of suicide, then, surely?

Caroline Beasley-Murray, senior coroner (Ed: Oh oh..!), recorded an open conclusion for the inquest.

She said: “We just don’t quite know what was going through his mind.”

Really..?!?