Backpacker's four-storey fall an accident
AsiaOne
Wednesday, Nov 16, 2011
A British backpacker's death was concluded to be an accident, after she fell off the four-storey Armadale condominium near Novena on June 24, 2010.
31-year-old Sarah Kate Royle died three days later at Tan Tock Seng hospital from head injuries.
A camera with photos found in her handbag at the scene of her fall gave some idea of what she had been doing before she fell, reported The Straits Times.
The photos showed Miss Royle and a man, Mr Lawrence Duckett, whom she had met the night before at a pub high up on some scaffolding. The pair had earlier watched a World Cup Final football match together
A coroner's inquiry heard that Miss Royle was an avid rock climber and had no fear of heights. Mr Duckett, 33, works as a regional engineer for Australian-based Skywest Airlines.
At about 3am, they proceeded to Chijmes for more drinks, but at 6am, they were at the poolside of the Armadale condominium.
Mr Duckett brought down a bottle of bourbon from his third-floor apartment and they continued drinking, but their loud voices led residents to tell them to pipe down.
At this point, Mr Duckett left the poolside area. It was also not known how Miss Royle entered a fourth-floor apartment at about 8am.
When she was spotted by the occupant, Miss Royle dashed out to the rooftop. That was the last time that she was seen before her fall.
State Coroner Imran Hamid said it was not a suicide, and Miss Royle could either have fallen accidentally, or lost her grip when she tried to climb down using the awnings of each floor.
Mr Hamid also told the court that residents who saw her at the poolside and paramedics who attended to her noticed she was quite drunk.
A test on Mr Duckett's blood alcohol level showed it was 163, more than twice the prescribed 80mg limit for driving a vehicle.
AsiaOne
Wednesday, Nov 16, 2011
A British backpacker's death was concluded to be an accident, after she fell off the four-storey Armadale condominium near Novena on June 24, 2010.
31-year-old Sarah Kate Royle died three days later at Tan Tock Seng hospital from head injuries.
A camera with photos found in her handbag at the scene of her fall gave some idea of what she had been doing before she fell, reported The Straits Times.
The photos showed Miss Royle and a man, Mr Lawrence Duckett, whom she had met the night before at a pub high up on some scaffolding. The pair had earlier watched a World Cup Final football match together
A coroner's inquiry heard that Miss Royle was an avid rock climber and had no fear of heights. Mr Duckett, 33, works as a regional engineer for Australian-based Skywest Airlines.
At about 3am, they proceeded to Chijmes for more drinks, but at 6am, they were at the poolside of the Armadale condominium.
Mr Duckett brought down a bottle of bourbon from his third-floor apartment and they continued drinking, but their loud voices led residents to tell them to pipe down.
At this point, Mr Duckett left the poolside area. It was also not known how Miss Royle entered a fourth-floor apartment at about 8am.
When she was spotted by the occupant, Miss Royle dashed out to the rooftop. That was the last time that she was seen before her fall.
State Coroner Imran Hamid said it was not a suicide, and Miss Royle could either have fallen accidentally, or lost her grip when she tried to climb down using the awnings of each floor.
Mr Hamid also told the court that residents who saw her at the poolside and paramedics who attended to her noticed she was quite drunk.
A test on Mr Duckett's blood alcohol level showed it was 163, more than twice the prescribed 80mg limit for driving a vehicle.
