An inquest held by the Oxfordshire County Coroner last week concluded that the death of David Lord, a night porter at St Catherine’s College, was caused by suicide. His death in May came as a shock to his friends, co-workers, and students, who described him as “a truly great guy who will be greatly missed.”
This paper reported on the unexpected death of the twenty-three year old earlier in the year, but the investigation was yet to be completed so details were unknown. An inquest was concluded on Tuesday 25th September. Testimony from police, friends and emergency service workers was heard, along with the results of the post mortem examination.
The inquest heard that when Mr Lord did not come into work on the 5th of May, the St Catherine’s College called his home. Mr Lord’s housemate, Samuel O’Brien, entered his room and found him sitting at his desk, his head covered by a plastic bag. A suicide note was later found on his computer by paramedics attending the scene.
The post mortem examination found the cause of death to be suffocation. At the inquest it was revealed that Mr Lord had been unable to come to terms with the recent suicide of a close friend several months earlier, and had been taking prescription anti-depressants and tranquillisers.
St Catherine’s College has expressed its sympathies to Mr Lord’s family, and the college flag was flown at half mast as a symbol of mourning until his funeral, at the Master’s request. The Master, Professor Roger Ainsworth, said Lord was “always friendly, helpful and enthusiastic” and that he “will be greatly missed.”
His fellow porters expressed similar sentiments, saying he was “a valued colleague.” The College Bursar, James Bennet, said, “David’s death came as a great shock to us all at St Catherine’s. He was a much loved and well respected colleague and friend to many here. He will be very much missed by us all.”
Students also expressed their grief and shock at his death, with Gareth Morgan, a third year biochemist, describing him as “a very nice guy, very sharp and extremely intelligent” and adding that he was “really selfless.”
