A heartbroken student has described the moment her ”perfect” boyfriend fell to his death – as he climbed through their bedroom window to avoid waking her up.
Devastated Jessica Wallace, 21, had gone home to bed after spending the night at a pub quiz with friends and partner William Styles, 23.
He stayed out when she went home but when he returned later on he’d lost his key and didn’t want to ring the bell and wake her, an inquest heard.
William then climbed the outside of the home to climb into their bedroom window but fell 18ft to the floor and suffered serious head injuries.
Jessica was unaware what had happened and didn’t wake up until a neighbour saw his body on the floor and dialled 999.
William, a water sports instructor, died of brain injuries in hospital following the incident in November 2009.
His girlfriend later found a footprint on the wall and a hand print on the outside of a window he left just before he fell.
Speaking in a statement, Jessica told an inquest: ”We had been out to a pub quiz with our flatmate Nick when we decided to go to another bar.
”We had a bottle of red wine in another pub before I decided I was tired and went home while they carried on drinking.
”I tried waiting up for the boys but I was so tired I fell asleep and the next thing I knew the doorbell was ringing.
”I thought they must have forgotten their keys but when I answered the door it was my neighbour who said there was someone in the courtyard below my bedroom window.
”We both ran to the window and I could see William lying on the ground. It was stormy and raining and I noticed a hand print on the downstairs window and a smeared footprint on the windowsill.
”He had tried to climb through the window so he could come up to the flat without waking me but he slipped and fell.”
William, of Falmouth, Cornwall, taught kayaking, windsurfing and sailing and had recently moved to be with Jessie, a sports student, in Plymouth.
Speaking at the time of his death, Jessie said: ”It’s a tragic, horrible accident and it’s ruined so many people’s lives. He was the perfect boyfriend.”
Ian Arrow, Plymouth coroner, returned a verdict of accidental death.
