Father-of-three fell to his death from Newmarket pub window

Mr Mckeon fell from the second floor window of the Golden Lion pub in Newmarket in the early hours of 13 June

A father-of-three fell to his death from a second floor window after making his way into the private staff area of a pub, an inquest heard.

Callum Mckeon, 24, suffered serious head injuries in the fall at the Golden Lion pub in Newmarket, Suffolk, on 13 June last year.

The hearing in Ipswich was told Mr McKeon had spent the day drinking in a "get-together" with family and friends.

Coroner Peter Taheri said his death was "an alcohol-related accident".

Mr Mckeon, a carpenter and shopfitter from Haverhill, was part of a group on a "stag party" for his future brother-in-law, Richard Fuller.

In a statement, Mr Fuller said the group of nine met at the White Hart pub on Newmarket High Street from 13:00 BST on Saturday, 12 June.

He said it was more of a "get-together" given Covid restrictions at the time, and that "nothing from his [Mr Mckeon's] behaviour gave me any cause for concern".

The inquest in Suffolk heard Mr Mckeon described as a "jovial, happy man"

The inquest was told Mr Mckeon returned to the High Street later that night after members of the group had gone their separate ways over the course of the evening.

According to Lewis Jarrold, a bar associate at the Golden Lion, Mr Mckeon arrived after midnight and had been refused service at the bar.

He was "slurring his words" and "gurning", but was not aggressive or difficult, Mr Jarrold said, and had made his way to the first floor toilets after he was asked to leave.

The second floor of the Golden Lion comprised a staff room and a four-bedroom staff flat, which at the time was used as storage for extra tables and chairs removed to comply with social distancing measures, he said.

'Loud crash'

Shift manager Charlie Hawkins also told the hearing that only the small bedroom of the flat was empty. The door of the staff flat was "not secure", the court heard.

He described hearing a "loud and quite alarming crash" as he checked the toilets for Mr Mckeon's whereabouts after a radio request from Mr Jarrold.

He ran downstairs to find Mr Mckeon lying on the pavement before checking for signs of life, he told the court. The window of the small bedroom on the second floor was "wide open", he said.

"It became apparent that Callum must have fallen out, it wasn't some sort of car accident," he said.

Det Sgt Tom Darville, of Suffolk Police, told the hearing that Mr Mckeon's movements could be tracked by CCTV, from entering the Golden Lion at 00:44 until his fall at 00:52.

Forensic tests showed Mr Mckeon had "exited forwards through the window", he said, and there was no evidence of any third party involvement.

Mr Mckeon was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics at 01:15. A post-mortem examination revealed he died of a severe head injury "consistent with a fall from height".

Toxicology reports suggested that Mr Mckeon was about three times over the legal alcohol limit.

Coroner Mr Sehari offered his condolences to Mr Mckeon's family, concluding: "His death was an alcohol-related accident at least contributed to by the deceased being able to access a part of a public house not ordinarily accessed by public house patrons".