Philosophy student, 22, ‘killed himself at remote beauty spot after being charged with rape’
A PHILOSOPHY student killed himself at a remote beauty spot after being charged with rape, an inquest heard.
Thomas Wright, 22, called his dad Chris to tell him he was going on an “adventure” as he travelled to Dartmoor in April.
He was discovered dead near an urn containing his late mum’s ashes at around 6.30pm.
An inquest heard he had been charged with rape in October 2022, which his family believe may have contributed to his death.
His ex-cop grandad said that on the day of Thomas’ death, his grandson told him he was “100 per cent adamant” the sex was consensual.
Mick Wright added: “He had been told not to worry, she has done this before.”
But the court heard the philosophy student was terrified of being convicted and jailed.
Mick branded the Thames Valley Police investigation “botched” and told the inquest the stress caused Thomas to leave the University of Reading.
Assistant Devon coroner Michael Bird said the criminal assault charge and the period of time the probe had been going on was outside the scope of the inquest.
Ruling a conclusion of suicide, he said the charge had been a “source of anxiety and stress for him”.
You're Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together,www.headstogether.org.uk
- HUMEN www.wearehumen.org
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans,www.samaritans.org, 116 123
The court was also told Thomas’ mum Janet had died in December 2022 and was unaware of the rape accusations.
Thomas was discovered in Wistman’s Wood, which is one of Britain’s last remaining examples of a temperate rainforest.
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.