Vulnerable man found dead on sofa hours after bleach poured over his head in drunken prank, inquest hears
Martyn Evans’ friends also put banana up his nose and shaved his eyebrows
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A vulnerable man was found dead on a sofa just hours after bleach was poured over his head in a drunken prank, an inquest has heard.
Martyn Evans, 25, spent the night before he died drinking “heavily” with four friends – who then decided to have “a bit of fun” at his expense.
The two men and two women, aged between 25 and 30, filmed their “appalling” treatment of Mr Evans, which included trying to shave his eyebrows.
They also poured bleach and washing-up liquid on his head, and put a banana up his nostrils and in his mouth.
The inquest at Avon Coroner’s Court heard Mr Evans was more intoxicated than the rest of the group and was “clearly out of it” as the antics went on.
The two men involved carried Mr Evans head-first towards the bathroom to wash the bleach out of his hair, but slid and dropped him and the left side of his head is believed to have hit the floor, the inquest heard.
They then dried him off and carried him back to the sofa, where he was found dead by one of the men at 9.15am on 21 October last year.
Coroner Dr Peter Harrowing recorded a short narrative conclusion at Mr Evans’ inquest, stating he was unable to determine how he died.
He ruled out alcohol poisoning and the bleach as the cause of death, and said Mr Evans’ heart and brain were normal. There were also no drugs in his system.
Mr Evans, who lived in Withywood, Bristol, had a long history of learning and developmental difficulties, the inquest heard.
He was already in a state of rigamortis on the sofa when he was found dead by paramedics after they were called to the property in Highridge, Bristol.
Two police officers then attended and saw Mr Evans on his back on the sofa, covered with a white duvet, and with vomit stains on his upper jeans, the neckline of his t-shirt and the soles of his socks.
They concluded his death was a tragic accident and that he could have choked on his own vomit after being left to sleep on his back while extremely drunk, the inquest heard.
But a few days later Avon and Somerset Police received information from a neighbour of two of Mr Evans’ friends that they had “terrorised” him prior to his death.
The first photo of Mr Evans was taken at 1.45am, and the final time he was seen alive on video was at 4.57am, in which he can be seen sitting up and removing his jumper, the inquest heard.
The four people involved pleaded guilty at Bristol Crown Court in August this year to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
They were each handed an 18-month community order with rehabilitation, although their “bullying” actions were not linked to Mr Evans’ death.
Speaking after the inquest, Mr Evans’ mother Alita Evans - who adopted him when he was seven months old - described him as “fun-loving” and “good company”, with “a good sense of humour”.
She added: “He was always here to help me whenever I needed help. I miss him dreadfully. It's been a long year. He's left a big void to fill.”
Additional reporting by SWNS