A TEENAGER jumped off a balcony at Nestlé’s York offices just hours after his car had crashed in a city street, an inquest was told.

Ewan Loughlan, a 19-year-old supply chain apprentice, suffered a non-survivable brain injury in the fall and died three days later at Leeds General Infirmary.

The inquest was told that Ewan, of Wheldrake, near York, was driving a red Mazda which collided with a lamppost in Fulford Road near the junction with Broadway in the early hours of Saturday, August 13.

The crash left the lamppost uprooted and lying across the pavement.

PC Michael Rowan said a member of the public said the driver had run off towards Broadway, and he had found Mr Loughlan with the smell of alcohol on his breath.

A breath test showed he was over the drink drive limit and he was arrested.

He was taken to York Hospital and assessed, and then taken into police custody before being released.

Ewan's father Neil said in a statement that although it would never be known if the crash and arrest had a bearing on what happened next, he thought it was likely that it had, as Ewan would have been ashamed at his arrest and he had lost the car that made him happiest.

Mark Powell, a security guard at Nestle House in Haxby Road, said in a statement that at about 2.30pm that day, Ewan had come to the front gate, saying he needed to get a laptop for his studies.

He accompanied Ewan in the lift, where he was 'acting perfectly normally', with nothing to indicate he was going to 'do anything silly'.

He said that as the lift door opened, Ewan threw down a plastic bag he was carrying and jumped over a balcony.

He saw him drop and land flat on his back.

Sergeant Stuart Henderson, who carried out a review of the circumstances surrounding Ewan's death, said he did not suspect any third party involvement, and he was of the opinion that Ewan intended to cause himself harm.

Coroner Jonathan Leach said Ewan lived with his parents, had a 'loving and supportive' family, had his whole life ahead of him and had no mental health issues.

He concluded that he was satisfied that Ewan had taken his own life and intended to do so.

A Nestlé spokesperson paid tribute after the inquest to Ewan, who was a 'much-loved and respected colleague and friend and will be very sadly missed.'

They added: "Our thoughts have been with those who knew Ewan and our priority has been to support his family and friends, and those colleagues who worked closely with him.”

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