A CORONER has said he has no intention of concluding that a Forest teenager who was found trapped in a rope ladder had taken his own life.

Jake Corner of New Road, Bream, died on September 7 2021 and his body was found by his uncle, Peter Corner.

A pre-inquest review was held on Thursday (January 12), to discuss Mr Corner’s concerns people reading about the tragedy might think that Jake had taken his own life.

Mr Corner demonstrated for Gloucestershire coroner Roland Wooderson how he had found Jake lying on his side on the ground with the rope around his neck.

Mr Corner said he was satisfied in his own mind that Jake’s death was an accident and that there was no way he would have taken his life.

He also said he was concerned about the pathologist describing the cause of Jake’s death as ‘hanging.’

The coroner said “I do understand what you mean, that he was not technically hanging.”

Mr Wooderson said that when he conducts the full inquest hearing on a date to be fixed in the next few weeks he would record narrative conclusion with words to the effect of “He was found by his uncle, not hanging but lying on the ground with his head trapped between the rungs of a rope ladder and with a rope around his neck.”

The coroner said the purpose of the hearing had been with him and explain that he did not intend to call any of the witnesses to give evidence in court. He intended, he said, simply to read excerpts from witness statements, as is common in many inquests.

Mr Wooderson referred Mr Corner to the statement of the investigating police officer Detective Constable Parker, which concludes “I cannot say, having viewed all the material and having spoken to a number of people who knew Jake, if he took his life or a terrible accident occurred or a cry for help went wrong.’

The coroner continued: “What the officer is saying is that after speaking to a lot of people he is not really sure what happened.

‘‘He is probably right really, that no-one can know what did happen. “

Mr Corner said “There is no way that he tried to hang himself. “

Mr Wooderson said “I think the pathologist has used the expression hanging in the general sense of when the blood supply is cut to the brain. “

Mr Corner said “No-one knew Jake like I and his family knew him. If you did know him you would know he didn’t take his own life, never.”

The coroner said he had no intention of recording a conclusion of suicide as it would not be justified on the balance of probabilities.

“I do not take the view that he killed himself. I don’t know what happened, you don’t know what happened, the police officer doesn’t know what happened.”

The inquest was adjourned to a date to be fixed.