A student fell to his death after hiding on the roof of a house when council officers came to investigate a lockdown party.
Tom Miller, 24, tried to evade Nottingham city council community protection officers responding to a complaint in Radford, Nottingham, in the early hours of December 6 last year, an inquest was told. The business management student and a friend climbed on top of the house after rumours that revellers faced arrest.
Miller, a Nottingham Trent University student, became “entangled” with the friend, who had slipped as he tried to urinate. Both fell and Miller suffered a catastrophic brain injury, Nottingham coroner’s court was told.
Nottingham had been subject to Tier 3 restrictions, meaning different households were banned from mixing indoors. The inquest was told the council officers gave a warning about noise and left, but news of their arrival had caused a “ripple effect” with people entering bedrooms and the garden, the BBC said.
PC Kate Gledhill told an inquest into his death: “Tom found a small window which gave access to a ledge and then a section of roof. He filmed himself there and sent messages to friends, inviting one up to join him.”
Advertisement
It had been claimed by some at the party that the offficers had visited a second time, but PC Gledhill said there was no record of that.
Miller had signed his first professional rugby contract for Nottingham Rugby Club a few days before his death.
Duncan Miller, his father, said: “He fell from a great height in Nottingham. It was a freak accident. We’ve gone from a very high point and now we’re at a low point.
“He had just signed his first professional contract only a few days before. He didn’t want to make a big deal out of it when we celebrated but for us it was a big deal. It would have been fantastic to see him run out for the team, but sadly that’s not going to happen now. We are very proud of him and this has battered us.”
Miller’s father said his son had died on December 7 and that his organs had been donated the following day.
Advertisement
An appeal in Miller’s name has raised nearly £53,000 for the Oddballs cancer charity, of which he was an ambassador.
David Ross, university head of rugby union, said: “Tom was an outstanding role model and leader within our rugby programme and will be sadly missed.”
Laurinda Bower, assistant coroner, recorded a conclusion of accidental death.