Plymouth man who died after 'falling from height' named by coroner

If you need help or support, you can contact the Samaritans on 116 123

A man whom police claimed had fallen from a height in a Stonehouse street has been named at an inquest.

At the public hearing held by area coroner Alison Longhorn at Exeter County Hall, now the main coroner's court for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, the inquest of Jonathon Gatward - also known as Jonthon Russell-Gatward - was opened.

She explained that 67-year-old Jonathon was born in Middlesex and resided at a property in Durnford Street. She stated that he was found outside his home address at 2.42am on September 15 this year.

Ms Longhorn explained the circumstances of Jonathon's death, saying a member of the public came across a male on the pavement of Durnford Street in the early hours of the morning.

He was suffering from abdominal injuries and was unresponsive. Paramedics and police attended the scene and the male was identified as Mr Gatward.

She said that from an assessment made at the scene he appeared to have a previous abdominal injury that reopened and he had a head injury. It was also reported he was suffering from mental health issues.

Despite the best efforts of paramedics he was sadly pronounced deceased at the location. Police have carried out inquiries and have found there were no suspicious circumstances. However at this stage the medical cause of death has not yet been ascertained.

Ms Longhorn adjourned the hearing and a full inquest will take place at a later date.

Plymouth City Council has previously confirmed that any family or friends who wishes to attend the full inquest can request for it to be held at Plymouth's Coroner's Court rather than be forced to travel to the Exeter venue.

At the time police said that the ambulance service had been called "following reports of a man falling from height from a building at Durnford Street".

A police spokesperson said as a result a cordon was put in place he was treated "by medical professionals" but sadly the man "passed away at the scene as a result of his injuries".

If you need help or support, you can contact the Samaritans on 116 123, 24/7.

Join PlymouthLive's WhatsApp community for top stories and breaking news sent directly to your phone

PlymouthLive is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join us. Once you sign up for our updates, we'll send the latest breaking news and biggest stories of the day straight to your phone.

To join our community, you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select 'Join Community'.

No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the PlymouthLive team.

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.

To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'Exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Click here to join our WhatsApp community.