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Student died in plunge tragedy
Woman fell while helping neighbour who locked herself out Joanne Ginley A STUDENT fell to her death while trying to help a woman who had locked herself out of her flat.
Alice Redmond, 21, who was studying for a degree in events management at Leeds Metropolitan University, had only just moved into her third-floor flat in Kelso Road, Leeds, when she fell 30ft from a window.
The building she was living in was divided into flats and she and others living in the building had spent a social evening, drinking alcohol and getting to know each other.
It was later discovered that a woman living in a middle-floor flat had locked herself out. It is thought Miss Redmond had seen an open window in the woman's flat and had decided to shin down a drainpipe to try to get access to the flat.
An inquest in Leeds yesterday was told the weather was wet at the time of the accident in August last year.
Friends found Miss Redmond laid on the ground outside the flats. She had suffered serious head injuries as a result of the fall which it was later realised she could not survive. She later died in hospital.
The hearing was told it was not known how much alcohol Miss Redmond had drunk but it was likely that drink had loosened her inhibitions.
But West Yorkshire Coroner David Hinchliff told the hearing: "It strikes me that this Good Samaritan act that Alice had carried out was the sort of thing that she would have done in any event that was the sort of girl that she was."
Mr Hinchliff added: "I strongly suspect that Alice would have probably done that to help somebody in need, whether she had had a drink or not."
Speaking after he recorded a verdict of accidental death, he told her parents Stephen and Liv Redmond, who attended the hearing: "My young daughter is a student at university and I never have a moment's peace, I do understand."
In a statement, her parents, of Hebden Bridge, paid tribute to their daughter who they described as a "loving and caring daughter".
"As a daughter, we could not have asked for better.
"She was never any trouble," they added.
Mr and Mrs Redmond said their daughter had spoken of her desire to get a first class honours degree shortly before her death and said she would like to work for a charity when she completed her course.
As part of her course she had completed a work placement with charity Epilepsy Action, in Yeadon, Leeds.
The inquest was told that Miss Redmond had died as a result of head and spinal injuries she sustained in the fall.
Det Con Robert Cowman, of West Yorkshire Police, who investigated the accident, told the hearing there was nothing suspicious about the death.
The hearing was told the woman who had found herself locked out of her flat was inconsolable when she discovered what had happened to Miss Redmond.
joanne.ginley@ypn.co.uk
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
