A CITY student whose body was found in the River Severn more than 48 hours after falling from the Sabrina Bridge took his own life, a coroner has ruled.
Alessandro Frumenzi died following the incident in the early hours of June 29 when the alarm was raised by a passer-by who saw a man fall into the water.
Divers from West Mercia Search and Rescue discovered his body in the Severn at Draycott near Kempsey on July 1.
Speaking at an inquest into the 18-year-old’s death yesterday (Tuesday) Worcestershire coroner David Reid confirmed the teenager’s cause of death was drowning and a post-mortem found no alcohol or drugs in his system.
Stourport Coroner’s Court heard how Frumenzi had begun studying at Heart of Worcestershire College having come to the city from Leverkusen in Germany.
Mr Reid confirmed the teenager’s family had given their consent for the inquest to take place in their absence and heard written evidence from flatmate Andrei Zegheanu.
Mr Zegheanu said Mr Frumenzi had moved into the property not long after arriving in the UK from Germany after his mother’s decision to return to her native Romania.
The court heard how his mother came to visit Mr Frumenzi in April to celebrate his 18th birthday and in his evidence Mr Zegheanu told the court her arrival saw the teenager ‘as happy I’d ever seen him.’
But after she returned to Romania, Mr Zegheanu said the teenager became distant and ‘separated himself from everyday life’.
The court heard how when the body of a friend of the pair was found in the River Severn, Mr Frumenzi was alleged to have remarked upon it.
On the night of his death, Mr Zegheanu and his girlfriend asked the 18-year-old to go out with them.
He declined and when the pair returned later in the evening they found the lights were off and Mr Zegheanu believed the teenager had gone to bed.
However two separate witnesses told the court Mr Frumenzi was in fact on Sabrina Bridge and was seen looking out at the water.
Mr Reid said he had viewed CCTV footage of the teenager’s final moments and was left in no doubt his actions were deliberate.
Recording a verdict of suicide, he said: “In order to reach such a conclusion I have to be satisfied the act which caused his death was deliberate and intended to end his life.
“Having viewed the footage and considered the evidence from witnesses I am satisfied he intended to take his own life,” Mr Reid added.
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