Patrick Dear: Fell from a height at Dale Fort

AN INQUEST into the death of a 16–year–old schoolboy who was found at the foot of Dale Point was held at Milford Town Hall today (March 3).

Patrick Dear, of Essex, had been on a geography field trip to Dale Fort in March last year.

He was described by Coroner’s Officer Jeremy Davies as a ‘keen sportsman’ with ‘no concerns’.

The A–Level student, who had hoped to pursue a career in construction, would later be found at the base of the 120–foot cliffs that surround the former Victorian Fort.

A pathologist’s report described Paddy’s injuries as ‘severe’ and ‘in keeping with a fall from height’.

It also revealed that Paddy had been suffering from group A streptococcal septicemia, a ‘systemic infection’, which could cause ‘disorientation, confusion, unsteadiness and an inability to comprehend dangerous situations’.

The report concluded that this ‘infection contributed to his fall’.

Some of Paddy’s classmates from Campion school in Hornchurch, Essex, had said he ‘appeared restless’ and had experienced difficulty sleeping during his time at the Fort.

On March 17 at around 5.30pm, Paddy asked to be excused from a lesson to go to the toilet; however, he did not return.

When teachers became aware of Paddy’s disappearance, they alerted staff at the Fort, and after an initial search proved unsuccessful, police were informed at 7.05pm.

The search would continue into the early hours of the following day, with teams from Dyfed–Powys Police, which included a helicopter, and the Coastguard eventually finding Paddy’s body at around 1am.

While Paddy’s whereabouts prior to his death were unknown to staff at the Fort, Judith Curry, who lives on the seafront in Dale, was able to shed some light on his final hours.

Ms Curry recalled how she had been out in her front garden at around 6pm on March 17 when she saw a ‘young man’, who she would later identify as Paddy, standing near the seafront wall.

The Dale resident said she had been concerned about the student’s demeanour, adding that he had been ‘pacing up and down’ and ‘looking out to sea an awful lot’.

Ms Curry stated: “I would not say he was in control – he looked agitated.”

When she returned to her garden at around 8pm to find that Paddy had gone, Ms Curie said: “If he had still been there I would have gone over to him.”

A staff member at the Fort, Elizabeth Western recalled how she had ‘never had any issues with Paddy’, describing him as ‘quiet’.

The field trip had seen the pupils travel to several parts of Pembrokeshire, including Newgale, Tenby and Milford Haven; although Ms Western stated that whilst students are in the Fort, ‘the village is definitely out of bounds’.

She added that the Fort is occupied by at least one member of staff at all times and students have to sign in and out should they leave the premises.

At this point, Paddy’s mother, Patricia Dear, took the opportunity to ask Ms Western if the Fort had ‘someone standing on the gate’ during the search, to which Ms Western said they did not.

Head of Field Studies Council Pembrokeshire, Christine Milligan, who oversees Dale Fort and a similar centre at Orielton, said how the students would have been ‘warned of the dangers of the cliffs around the site’ on arrival, and that the Fort operates strict protocols in the event of a missing student.

She added that the search for Paddy had been ‘comprehensive’, with staff members having ‘searched systematically’.

Ms Milligan also said how deputy head teachers of Campion school, along with Paddy’s mother and other family members had began making the journey to Pembrokeshire in the hours after he was announced missing.

Speaking to Ms Milligan, Mrs Dear said: “Nothing we do today will bring Paddy back.”

She went on to raise questions over whether there had been any changes implemented since Paddy’s death, and in particular, if the Fort would now position someone on the gate if a similar event was to take place.

Raising concerns over the safety of future students visiting the site, Mrs Dear added: “In terms of security […] there is nothing stopping access to the public.”

Ms Milligan, who said that locking the gates in this instance would have likely not made a difference, responded: “We will certainly consider all issues raised here and look at what we can do if this awful situation was to happen again.”

Coroner Mark Layton recorded a narrative conclusion, saying that Paddy had died as a result of a fall from height whilst suffering from the systemic infection.

Mr Layton expressed his sincere condolences to Mr and Mrs Dear.