Tragedy as man found dead in river after night out in Caernarfon
A man was tragically found dead in a river near Caernarfon town centre following a night out, an inquest heard today. Huw Melfyn Williams was found dead in the Afon Seiont on December 15 last year, two days after he had gone out for drinks with colleagues.
An inquest held in Caernarfon on Friday, May 2 heard that it remains unclear how he ended up in the water, or how he died. A pathologist found no clear evidence that Mr Williams, of Tan y Coed, Gardolbenmaen, had drowned, and a coroner said there was no evidence he intended to take his own life.
Kate Robertson, senior coroner for North West Wales, gave a narrative conclusion, and said she "regrettably" couldn't say for certain what had happened. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here
Mr Williams had been a volunteer with the Welsh Highland Railway (WHR) and was on a night out with two colleagues on Friday, December 13. Catherine Paige, one of the colleagues, told how Mr Williams had volunteered for the WHR for 18 months and worked for four days a week.
He loved "every second" of the work and was thoughtful and helpful. But latterly his lower leg had gone "purple" and he was persuaded to go for treatment. Catherine, known as Cathy, said: "He was extremely strong but did not like a fuss.
Why journalists cover inquests and why it's crucial that we do
Reporting on an inquest can be one of the hardest types of stories a journalist can write.
More often than not, they are emotionally charged proceedings attended by grief-stricken people who are desperate for answers.
Sometimes, inquests can seem quite clinical due to a coroner's need to remain impartial and level-headed so that they can draw a conclusion from desperately sad events.
As painful as these proceedings are for those who have lost a loved one, the lessons that can be learned from inquests can go a long way to saving others' lives.
Families are often surprised - and sometimes angry - when they see a reporter in attendance.
Understandably they worry the nature of their loved one's death will be sensationalised and that a news story will forever tarnish their memory.
Responsible and ethically minded journalists will do what they can to report inquests sensitively, while not shying away from the often upsetting facts.
It is vital that the public don't forget that inquests are a type of judicial inquiry; they are after all held in a coroner's court.
The press has a legal right to attend inquests and has a responsibility to report on them as part of their duty to uphold the principle of 'open justice'.
But in doing so journalists must follow the guidance provided by the Independent Press Standards Organisation and set out in Editors' Code of Conduct.
It's a journalist's duty to make sure the public understands the reasons why someone has died and to make sure their deaths are not kept secret.
An inquest report can also clear up any rumours or suspicion surrounding a person's death.
But most importantly of all, an inquest report can draw attention to circumstances which may stop further deaths from happening.
Inquests are not criminal courts - there is no prosecution or defence - they are fact-finding tribunals which seek to answer four key questions:
Who is the person who died?
Where did they die?
When did they die?
How did they die?
They do not apportion blame.
Once these questions are answered a coroner will be able to record a conclusion.
The wider lessons that can be learned from an inquest can have far-reaching consequences - but if journalists do not attend them how can the public be made aware?
The harsh reality is they can't. Coroners often do not publish the results of an inquest.
Should journalists shy away from attending inquests then an entire arm of the judicial system - and numerous others who need to answer vital questions - is not held to account.
Inquests can often prompt a wider discussion on serious issues, the most recent of these being mental health and suicide.
Editors actively ask and encourage reporters to speak to the family and friends of a person who is the subject of an inquest.
Their contributions help us create a clearer picture of the person who died and also provides the opportunity to pay tribute to their loved one.
Often families do not wish to speak to the press and of course that decision has to be respected.
However, as has been seen by many brilliant campaigns run by newspapers and websites up and down the country, the input of a person's family and friends can make all the difference in helping to save others.
Without the attendance of the press at inquests questions will remain unanswered, debates unargued and lives lost.
"I think he was just fed up with the heavy work we did. It was very tiring," she said. On the Friday night, she met Mr Williams and another WHR worker - Erfyl Wyn Williams - in Wetherspoons in Caernarfon.
They visited various pubs in the town that night with Huw Williams apparently leaning against a wall to get his balance at one point. In his statement Erfyl Wyn Williams said in the two weeks before his death Huw Williams had become "angry and agitated".
He "knew all the contact details" for the Hergest Unit and for mental health support. At the end of the night of Friday, December 13 Erfyl Wyn Williams left Huw Williams outside the Palace Vaults pub while he went inside to get a drink for himself and water for Huw Williams.
When he came outside, Huw Williams had gone and couldn't be contacted by phone despite repeated attempts. Neither of his colleagues could trace him so they later drove out to find him and came across police on Sunday, December 15.
Police Constable Gwen Jones said CCTV footage showed Huw Williams walking along St Helen's Road at midnight then past SP Energy at 1.05am. Sergeant Jamie Aston said he saw what appeared to be a body in the river trapped against fallen trees after bad weather. He identified the body as the missing Mr Williams.
Consultant pathologist Dr Mark Atkinson, who conducted a post mortem examination at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, said he could not find evidence of drowning. "The lungs were not overly waterlogged. There was no indication of swallowed water," he said.
Mr Williams had a reading of just under twice the legal limit for driving but it would have taken "a lot of drink" to get to that level, said Dr Atkinson. He added: "There is some heart disease but (overall) I can't tell what happened."
The coroner said it was likely Huw Williams was under the influence of alcohol when he entered the river but it couldn't be determined how he entered the water. She couldn't give the family any certainty about how the tragedy had happened, adding: "Regrettably, sometimes the evidence just is not there (but) I don't feel Huw intended to end his life."
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