Neil Thompson, 45, was found dead on a school playing field in Wolverhampton on 19 January. An inquest has heard that he may have died after being thrown from his electric bike on an uneven canal towpath during poor weather conditions.
Discovery and Initial Investigation
Mr Thompson's body was discovered by an 11-year-old pupil who was preparing for PE at Smestow Academy. The inquest heard that he died from aspiration of blood resulting from traumatic facial injuries and a traumatic head injury. He was declared dead at the scene.
West Midlands Police initially launched a homicide investigation, but the inquest was told that the exact circumstances of his fatal injuries remain unknown.
Timeline of Events
Mr Thompson left his home on an electric bike at approximately 8.17pm the previous evening to visit a friend. He left the friend's house at about 1am the following morning. CCTV footage captured him travelling along a canal towpath at 1.26am. A dog walker passing through Smestow Valley Nature Reserve photographed him in the school grounds at around 7.15am, and he was thought to be alive at that time.
A post-mortem examination conducted on 22 January identified significant injuries to the left side of his face, evidence of a traumatic brain injury, and a fracture around the left eye socket. He also sustained an injury to the front of his neck.
Pathologist's Findings and Police Theory
Consultant pathologist Dr Brett Lockyer stated that the injuries were consistent with blunt-force trauma, adding that they could have resulted from a heavy fall or alternatively from an assault. Detective Inspector Joe Davenport, who headed the homicide inquiry, told the inquest that officers conducted an extensive CCTV and forensic investigation. The probe placed Mr Thompson on the canal towpath between approximately 1am and 1.26am, but no CCTV footage captured the incident in which he sustained his injuries.
Det Insp Davenport revealed his personal theory that Mr Thompson may have been thrown from his bicycle while riding at speed along the uneven towpath in adverse weather conditions.
Unanswered Questions and Family Tribute
The inquest heard that there was no clear understanding of how Mr Thompson came to be at the school playing field. He would have had to negotiate or scale a fence to gain entry, but investigators could not determine how or when he made that journey. No confirmed damage or blood evidence was found along the towpath. CCTV from Smestow Academy and access points to the nature reserve showed no indication of another individual accompanying him at the relevant time.
Investigators found no evidence of robbery. However, Det Insp Davenport conceded that the entire nature reserve could not be completely cordoned off, so the possibility of another individual's involvement could not be wholly ruled out. Black Country Area Coroner Mrs Joanne Lees recorded a narrative conclusion, stating that Mr Thompson died from aspiration of blood caused by traumatic facial injuries and a traumatic head injury, with the circumstances surrounding those injuries remaining unknown.
In a statement released at the time of his death, Mr Thompson's family said: "Our beautiful son, brother, father and friend Chuck, very much loved in the community of fishing, his one true love. His love for life and funny stories touched the lives of so many people."
The father of the 11-year-old girl who discovered the body previously revealed how she had been left 'really shaken up' following the harrowing find. He said: "My daughter phoned her mom up, screaming, and told her that she found a dead body by the goal posts on the field. She's only 11 years of age. They went out for PE and it was very foggy. It's left her really shaken up. It's terrible what she's had to see."
