A MAN who died after jumping “head first” off scaffolding in Aberystwyth just before Christmas did not necessarily intend to take his own life, a corner has said.

Returning an open verdict on the death of Steven Peter Randall, 46, Coroner Peter Brunton said he rejected the possibility of a verdict of suicide despite a witness seeing Mr Randall “dive” off the second tier of scaffolding near the Castle Hotel on Friday, 23 December.

Dewi Davies was smoking outside the Castle Hotel when he saw Mr Randall climb the scaffolding before he jumped head first off the second-highest tier.

Mr Randall’s inquest today heard that he had been suffering with a range of mental illnesses in the past few years and had become estranged from his family.

In the days before his death, the inquest heard Mr Randall had been staying at Ynyshir Hall Hotel, near Machynlleth, where he was asked to leave by police on the day of his death after staff found he had damaged the room and had been throwing items off the room balcony.

Prior to his stay at Ynyshir, Mr Randall is known to have stayed at number of other expensive hotels in the area, including Nanteos Mansion near Aberystwyth, and Plas Dolguog in Machynlleth, where his behaviour was described as “threatening” and “erratic”.

He was known to have been drinking heavily in the lead up to his death.