Inquest opens into lastest Bridgend death

May 9 2008 Media Wales

An inquest opened today into the death of the latest young person to be found hanging in a county blighted by suicides.

Christopher Jones, 23, died in hospital on Monday after being found hanging at his parents’ home in Blandy Terrace, Nantymoel, Bridgend, south Wales.

Nineteen other young people in or from the county of Bridgend are suspected to have committed suicide since January last year.

Detective Inspector Jason Redrup told the inquest: “On the evening of May 4, Mr Jones was at his home address with his parents in his bedroom.

“His parents became concerned because they couldn’t contact him and a search was made of the garden area.

“He was found hanging in the garden shed.

“An ambulance was called and Mr Jones was taken to the Princess of Wales Hospital where he was treated.”

Mr Redrup said Mr Jones had died the following morning and was identified by his sister that afternoon.

The officer asked for a short time for South Wales Police to continue their inquiries before the inquest was resumed.

Bridgend Coroner Philip Walters said: “Clearly in the light of the circumstances in the Bridgend area I will deal with this as quickly as possible.”

Mr Walters, sitting at Brackla Tabernacle Church, adjourned the inquest to a date to be fixed.

Neighbours of Mr Jones have said he was expecting a baby with his girlfriend and that they were going to get married.

His sudden death is the second in the Nantymoel area of Bridgend County in recent months.

Angie Fuller, 18, was found hanging at her home in Nantymoel at the beginning of February.

South Wales Police have said Mr Jones’ death did not appear to be linked to any other sudden deaths in Bridgend.

Before opening the inquest Mr Walters said he wanted to point out to the Press that his office had not attempted to deliberately conceal Mr Jones’ name before today.

He said that a report in the South Wales Echo had stated that he had refused to disclose Mr Jones’ identity.

“That’s true in a sense, but the general position is until the body has been formally identified and the inquest opened I don’t normally release names.

“The reason for this is simple. In the past, very, very rarely, we have come to situations where identification has been done and somebody has turned up and said ’that’s not person A it’s person B’.

“It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that the press can find out names themselves and report ’the body believed to be that of ...’.

“I have got no objection to that and neither have South Wales Police, but I have not made any deliberate attempt to conceal the name.”