Open verdict on student's death

Gethin Bevan had recently changed degree course at Bath

A student from Carmarthenshire was found hanging after taking part in a pub-crawl at his university town, an inquest has heard.

Gethin Bevan, 20, from Ammanford, was described by friends and family as "always smiling" and "intelligent".

He had been on a pub-crawl with friends in Bath the night before he was found hanging from a tree in the city centre.

Avon Coroner Terence Moore said there was no evidence Mr Bevan wanted to take his life and recorded an open verdict.

A post-mortem examination showed the first-year student was more than twice the legal driving alcohol limit.

Mr Bevan, a biology and biochemistry student, was found dead behind a club in Walcot Street in the city centre.

'Massive shock'

The former pupil at Amman Valley comprehensive school, had just switched degree to a biology course, having studied at Bath University's maths department for the previous two years.

A friend and house-mate, Jack Wiggins, told the inquest that changing courses had lifted a weight from Mr Bevan's mind.

"He was happy to change. He was stressed when he made the decision, but he was happy once he had made the change."

Mr Wiggins added that photographs taken by Mr Bevan during the night showed him looking "happy, just like normal".

He said it was a "massive shock" when police officers told me the following morning about his friend's death.

He played number eight at rugby for Bath Saracens and had recently been made man of the match for scoring two tries in a game.