Hotel plunge death was accidental

A husband who plunged to his death from a hotel balcony on the Greek island of Rhodes could have been sleep walking, a coroner has said.

Christopher Peck, 25, died from head injuries after falling from his second floor room as his wife lay sleeping.

Hertfordshire coroner Edward Thomas said it was known that Mr Peck, of Seymour Road in St Albans, had a history of sleep walking.

He said: "I'm satisfied on the evidence I've heard that this was an accident."

Mr Peck, his wife Gemma, 24, and his family were amongst a party of 70 people who had flown out to Rhodes for the wedding of his sister in May last year.

Stag party

They were staying at the Hotel Daniel in the resort of Kalathos, near Lindos, in the south of the island.

The hearing at Hatfield heard that 48 hours before the wedding the hen and stag nights were held.

Mr Peck went out for the evening while his wife joined a party of women including his sister Wendy, 28, for the hen night celebrations.

His wife saw him fast asleep in bed when she returned from the hen night, at about 0330 BST, the hearing was told.

Mr Thomas said a desk clerk working on the reception desk then heard a "thud" at about 0530 BST.

'Sadly disorientated'

He discovered Mr Peck's body during a routine inspection of the outside of the hotel.

The coroner said there was no evidence that anyone else had been involved in Mr Peck's death.

Greek police were told by Mr Peck's relatives that he was sometimes prone to sleep walk if he had been drinking.

A blood sample showed that Mr Peck had been drinking and was more than twice the legal limit for driving.

The coroner said Mr Peck could have been "sadly disorientated" and sleep walking before he died.

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