Hanged man 'tearful' before death

Jason McGowan was found hanged from railings

A man found hanged in Telford had been seen looking tearful at a Millennium Eve party hours before, an inquest has heard.

Jason McGowan, 20, was found at 0600 GMT on New Year's Day 2000 hanged by a belt from railings.

Telford and Wrekin Coroner Michael Gwynne told the jury in his opening comments that police had also investigated the death of Mr McGowan's uncle, Errol McGowan, six months before.

More than 1,350 people had been interviewed after officers linked the two deaths, said Mr Gwynne.

Errol McGowan died in July 1999

The jury heard how Mr McGowan disappeared from the Elephant and Castle pub in Ketley, Telford, late on Millennium Eve.

Outlining witness statements, Mr Gwynne said one woman in the pub had formed the opinion that Mr McGowan had had an argument with his wife, Sinead.

Another reveller in the pub, John Ford, had made a statement saying that he had asked Mr McGowan if he was all right because he could see his eyes were watering and had formed the impression he had been crying.

The jury was also told it would hear evidence that Mr McGowan had been upset by the death of his uncle six months earlier, and had been worried by an impending court appearance on an assault charge.

Eddy Mansel told the hearing at Telford's Moat House Hotel how he had discovered his friend's body.

Jury visit

He had at first thought Mr McGowan was asleep against a wall.

"I jumped over the wall and saw the belt and realised something was not right."

The jury is due to be taken to the Elephant and Castle pub and the site where Mr McGowan's body was found.

The inquest is expected to last five weeks.