Southampton boy jumped into River Itchen to avoid arrest - inquest

Police searched the riverbank surrounded Cobden Bridge for two days after Marcel was seen entering the water

A teenage boy jumped into a river after saying he "wouldn't let police arrest him," an inquest has heard.

Marcel Wochna, 15, drowned after ending up in the River Itchen near Southampton's Cobden Bridge on 7 November 2021.

Police officers found his body two days later, more than two miles (3.2km) from where he originally entered the water.

Hampshire Constabulary referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct following Marcel's death.

Speaking to jurors at Winchester Coroner's Court, a friend who was with Marcel the night he died, said they had both snuck out of their houses at about 22:00 BST to smoke in a park near St Denys.

The 17-year-old told the court they then walked to Cobden Marina and paddled in a small wooden boat, eventually reaching a pontoon near Smith's Quay and going on board a number of other moored boats.

He said they "heard residents talking to police on the phone" and decided to "curl up in a ball" under a zipped canopy on a boat called the Arabica.

He told the jury he could remember Marcel's "heavy breathing" and Marcel saying: "If that's the feds I'm going to have to jump in and get away."

The friend told the court he thought Marcel was joking at the time as the water was "freezing and it had a really strong current".

Hampshire Constabulary referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct after Marcel's death

The court heard two police officers arrived on the scene and unzipped the canopy where Marcel and his friend were hiding.

The friend was lifted out of the boat and handcuffed on the walkway, but told the jury Marcel was resisting being handcuffed.

He said: "I was panicking. The officer was asking him [Marcel] to put his hands behind his back, but he was refusing to do that."

'Suspect in water'

The court heard Marcel then said: "I don't want to get in trouble with my mum," which his friend explained was because Marcel had been grounded.

The friend added: "He said 'I can't do this, I'm not letting you arrest me'.

"It was a split five seconds of time, he leapt into the water at least a metre forwards and I just remember hearing a splash and a massive gasp."

He said Marcel was a "confident" swimmer, but it had been "too dark" to see exactly what happened next.

He told the court one of the officers spoke into his radio, saying "suspect in water," before both officers walked him to the squad car.

Hampshire Constabulary then spent two days searching the river for Marcel.

The inquest is expected to last for seven days.