Found Deceased UK - Charley Gadd, 20, last seen early hours in city centre, Manchester, 11 Dec 2021
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An inquest has opened into the death of a student who was found after a month long search by police. Film student Charley Gadd was found in the River Irwell by Media City on January 10 this year.
Charley, 20, lived on Otton Road, Sudbury, Suffolk, and was a student at the University of Essex. He was last seen on December 11 last year after attending Warehouse Project in the city centre with his parents.
Police Coroners Officer, David Wood, told the opening at South Manchester Coroners Court police carried out a 'serious investigation' after he was reported missing by his parents. They were provided with a recent description and photograph of Charley to help with this.
His parents said he had 'ran off' after being last seen near the Spar Store in St Mary's Gate at around 1.10am on Saturday December 11. His family spent hours desperately trying to find him before reporting him missing to police.
His last known movements were caught on CCTV, putting him outside the Royal Exchange Theatre, heading towards St Annes Street, just before 1.15am. Following his disappearance specialist search teams and divers were spotted in the water near the Lowry hotel.
PCO Wood told the court he was present on January 10 when Charley was identified by another officer using an ID and bank card found in his wallet. Consultant Pathologist Dr Andrew Yates has carried out a post mortem examination where an initial finding into Charley's cause of death of 'presumed drowning' has been recorded. However, more investigations are being carried out.
Area coroner Chris Morris has set a provisional inquest date for June 30 of this year.
Inquest opens into tragic Charley, 20, found dead in Irwell after huge search
Charley, 20, lived on Otton Road, Sudbury, Suffolk, and was a student at the University of Essex. He was last seen on December 11 last year after attending Warehouse Project in the city centre with his parents.
Police Coroners Officer, David Wood, told the opening at South Manchester Coroners Court police carried out a 'serious investigation' after he was reported missing by his parents. They were provided with a recent description and photograph of Charley to help with this.
His parents said he had 'ran off' after being last seen near the Spar Store in St Mary's Gate at around 1.10am on Saturday December 11. His family spent hours desperately trying to find him before reporting him missing to police.
His last known movements were caught on CCTV, putting him outside the Royal Exchange Theatre, heading towards St Annes Street, just before 1.15am. Following his disappearance specialist search teams and divers were spotted in the water near the Lowry hotel.
PCO Wood told the court he was present on January 10 when Charley was identified by another officer using an ID and bank card found in his wallet. Consultant Pathologist Dr Andrew Yates has carried out a post mortem examination where an initial finding into Charley's cause of death of 'presumed drowning' has been recorded. However, more investigations are being carried out.
Area coroner Chris Morris has set a provisional inquest date for June 30 of this year.
Inquest opens into tragic Charley, 20, found dead in Irwell after huge search
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The inquest into Charley's death has been published. Senior Coroner Alison Mutch said "I record Charley died as a consequence of drowning and record his death as an accidental death".
Manchester Evening News article
Manchester Evening News article
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A university student who was found dead after a month-long search by police had run away from his parents in a prank that turned tragic, an inquest heard.
Film student Charley Gadd was found in the River Irwell by Media City on January 10 this year. He had been on a night out with parents Jolyon and Kimberley Gadd at The Warehouse Project in Manchester city centre on December 11 last year but later 'ran off' from them while just messing around
His dad, Jolyon, said that 20-year-old Charley had already run away from them once that night as a joke.
He said: "I went chasing after him, running a couple of blocks. He fell over and I picked him up. He found it really funny that I was so unfit and we walked off arm in arm. Then we went to get something for him to eat, but he ran off again."
[...]
Giving evidence at Stockport Coroners Court, Police Coroners Officer David Wood, of Greater Manchester Police, said CCTV footage showed Charley heading towards St Mary's parsonage. He was then seen in a small car park to the rear of Alberton House which overlooks the River Irwell.
He said at 1.18am Charley was seen to go across the car park, which had a steep drop into the River Irwell, but was not seen to leave. He said: "It would have been impossible to know that under the car park was water."
Police had carried out a 'serious investigation' with a huge search effort across the city centre after he was reported missing by his parents but he was tragically found dead some weeks later. PCO Wood was present on January 10 when Charley was identified by another officer using an ID and bank card found in his wallet.
The court heard how Consultant Pathologist Dr Andrew Yates carried out a post mortem examination and said he could see signs consistent with Charley being immersed in water for a long time. A toxicologist report showed he had some alcohol present in his body.
[...]
Charley died as a consequence of going into the River Irwell... while he had consumed alcohol it was not at a toxic or fatal level.
... Charley died as a consequence of drowning and record his death as an accidental death..."
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Film student Charley Gadd was found in the River Irwell by Media City on January 10 this year. He had been on a night out with parents Jolyon and Kimberley Gadd at The Warehouse Project in Manchester city centre on December 11 last year but later 'ran off' from them while just messing around
His dad, Jolyon, said that 20-year-old Charley had already run away from them once that night as a joke.
He said: "I went chasing after him, running a couple of blocks. He fell over and I picked him up. He found it really funny that I was so unfit and we walked off arm in arm. Then we went to get something for him to eat, but he ran off again."
[...]
Giving evidence at Stockport Coroners Court, Police Coroners Officer David Wood, of Greater Manchester Police, said CCTV footage showed Charley heading towards St Mary's parsonage. He was then seen in a small car park to the rear of Alberton House which overlooks the River Irwell.
He said at 1.18am Charley was seen to go across the car park, which had a steep drop into the River Irwell, but was not seen to leave. He said: "It would have been impossible to know that under the car park was water."
Police had carried out a 'serious investigation' with a huge search effort across the city centre after he was reported missing by his parents but he was tragically found dead some weeks later. PCO Wood was present on January 10 when Charley was identified by another officer using an ID and bank card found in his wallet.
The court heard how Consultant Pathologist Dr Andrew Yates carried out a post mortem examination and said he could see signs consistent with Charley being immersed in water for a long time. A toxicologist report showed he had some alcohol present in his body.
[...]
Charley died as a consequence of going into the River Irwell... while he had consumed alcohol it was not at a toxic or fatal level.
... Charley died as a consequence of drowning and record his death as an accidental death..."
Son, 20, died after 'messing around' with parents in prank that became tragedy
Charley Gadd's body was found after a month-long search in Manchester city centre
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