York teenager fell to his death from Nestle balcony hours after crashing his car
A man aged 19 died after throwing himself off the fourth-floor balcony at Nestle’s factory, hours after he had been in a car crash.
Ewan Patrick Loughlan died in Leeds General Infirmary from a serious brain injury caused by his fall, an inquest heard today.
The inquest in Northallerton heard that Mr Loughlan died on 16 August, 2022.
A statement by his father, Neil Loughlan, read by the coroner Jonathan Leach, said Ewan had had a few issues between the ages of 15 and 17 and “struggled to know who he was as a person”.
He had been referred to his GP by the school pastoral team. A statement by Dr Nathan De Barr from the Elvingon Medical Practice said Mr Loughlan last met with a GP at the surgery in December 2019.
Where to get help
Mr Loughlan told his doctor he was worried in social situations and unsure about his future. The GP discussed strategies to help him, and concluded there was no evidence of mental illness.
Mr Loughlan, from Moor Close, Wheldrake, left sixth form to get a job as a supply chain apprentice for Nestle in York.
He really liked his job and had started to settle down, his father said.
But in the hours before his fall he had been involved in a road traffic collision.
Fulford Road collision
In a statement, PC Michael Rowan said he was on duty on Saturday, 13 August at about 2.20am driving along Fulford Road.
Near the Broadway junction he saw a red Mazda had collided head on with a lamppost. “It appeared to have been a significant impact,” PC Rowan said, with the lamppost uprooted and lying across the pavement.
A member of the public said the driver had run off towards Broadway. Setting off on a search, PC Rowan found Mr Loughlan and smelled alcohol on his breath.
Mr Loughlan said he was the driver of the Mazda and no one else had been in the car. A preliminary breath test showed he was over the alcohol limit for driving and he was arrested.
Police took him to York Hospital. A letter from the emergency department said Mr Loughlan was admitted at 2.56am suffering from neck pains.
He was assessed for head and neck injuries, and had a chest X-ray, which proved “unremarkable”, and was discharged into police custody.
Mr Loughlan’s father said that, although we will never know if the crash and his arrest had a bearing on what happened next, “I think it is more likely it did.
“He will have been ashamed at being arrested, plus he had lost the thing that made him happiest – his car and the freedom it afforded him.”
Acting normally
The next statement read at the inquest was from Mark Powell, a security guard at the Nestle factory on Haxby Road, York.
At about 2.30pm on 13 August, Mr Loughlan came to the front gate. He was identified as a member of Nestle staff and said he needed to get a laptop for his studies which was on the fourth floor.
Mr Powell accompanied Mr Loughlan in the lift, and said: “He was acting perfectly normal, there was nothing to suggest he was going to do anything silly.”
As the lift door opened, Mr Loughlan threw down a plastic bag he was carrying “and darted towards the balcony straight ahead,” Mr Powell said.
“He went headfirst – threw himself off, he didn’t say a word. Naturally I went towards him to try and grab him and I saw him drop.
“He landed flat on his back.”
Mr Powell went down to Mr Loughlan who was conscious. “I asked him why he did it, what was in his head to do that but he wasn’t listening to me.”
He was taken to Leeds General Infirmary. Dr Matthew Bromley, a consultant at the hospital, said they gave Mr Loughlan a blood transfusion which stabilised him.
A scan showed various injuries including a traumatic brain injury.
He underwent surgery, but his condition deteriorated. On 15 August it was apparent there was nothing more doctors could do to save Mr Loughlan’s life.
His father Neil said they agreed to life sustaining treatment being withdrawn. Mr Loughlan died at 2.15pm on 16 August.
Cause of death was acute subdural haemorrhage due to the fall.
Acting Sergeant Stuart Henderson then gave evidence on his investigation into the events that led to Mr Loughlan’s death.
He didn’t leave a note but he was keeping a journal. Sgt Henderson said: “Some of the excerpts from that were taken on the day which described almost like hallucinations.”
He said based on the evidence, “I am of the opinion that Ewan intended to cause himself harm, and that his injuries subsequently proved fatal”. He didn’t suspect anyone else was involved.
Mr Loughlan’s father said they couldn’t explain why he had jumped from the balcony.
In conclusion, the coroner Mr Leach said Ewan lived with his parents, a loving and supportive family.
“He had left school and found work at a local firm, and had his whole life ahead of him. He had consulted his GP but the letter from the GP indicates there were really no mental health issues at all.”
Then came the car crash, and the tragedy that followed.
Mr Leach added: “In order for me to find suicide as a conclusion I’ve got to be satisfied it’s more likely than not that Ewan took his own life and intended to do so.
“And I am so satisfied on both grounds, if you bear in mind the manner of his death. So that is my conclusion.”
He offered his sincere condolences to Mr Loughlan’s parents.