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Coroner rules death of Aussie jockey a ‘tragic misadventure’

SINGAPORE — The death of a young Australian jockey, who fell 12 storeys after attempting to climb into his condominium unit via an open kitchen window as he had forgotten his house keys, was a “tragic misadventure”, the State Coroner said yesterday, as he ruled out foul play and suicide.

There were no injuries or marks suggesting that 22-year-old jockey Timothy Gordon Bell had been a victim of any act of violence by a third party. PHOTO: TIMOTHY BELL’S TWITTER ACCOUNT

There were no injuries or marks suggesting that 22-year-old jockey Timothy Gordon Bell had been a victim of any act of violence by a third party. PHOTO: TIMOTHY BELL’S TWITTER ACCOUNT

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SINGAPORE — The death of a young Australian jockey, who fell 12 storeys after attempting to climb into his condominium unit via an open kitchen window as he had forgotten his house keys, was a “tragic misadventure”, the State Coroner said yesterday, as he ruled out foul play and suicide.

The court heard earlier that around noon on Nov 3 last year, Timothy Gordon Bell, 22, had gone drinking with his girlfriend and room-mate at a bar at Robertson Quay.

Bell, who worked as a jockey at the Singapore Turf Club, had consumed eight bottles of beer at the bar.

In the evening, Bell and his girlfriend returned home, without his room-mate, only to realise that he had forgotten the keys to his condominium at Choa Chu Kang.

He then decided to climb into the unit through a kitchen window that had been left open.

Although his girlfriend tried to dissuade him, Bell climbed over the corridor wall, said State Coroner Marvin Bay.

His girlfriend then saw Bell losing his balance after going over the wall, and falling to the ground.

A toxicological analyst found that there was an “elevated amount” of ethanol in Bell’s blood — almost three times more than the legal limit.

Meanwhile, forensic findings confirmed that the jockey died due to multiple injuries that were consistent with a fall from a height.

State Coroner Bay said his findings showed that there were no injuries or marks suggesting that Bell had been a victim of any act of violence committed by a third party.

Mr Bay also noted that Bell had a cheerful predisposition and had never expressed an intention to end his life.

Bell was also an outstanding jockey, who wanted to extend his tenure at the Singapore Turf Club.

“From various accounts, he had been both professionally successful and personally fulfilled,” said Mr Bay. “Further, he had never appeared depressed or confessed suicidal thoughts. His fall was, therefore, highly unlikely to be motivated by any suicidal intent.”

Instead, the State Coroner ruled that Bell’s fall was “entirely accidental in nature”.

“He had, upon realising that he was locked out, taken it upon himself to regain access by making a bid to climb to the open kitchen window and back into the apartment,” Mr Bay said.

He noted that Bell had consumed a quantity of alcohol before the incident, and this “may have made his proposed course of action more difficult to execute, and also perilous”.

“He had, unfortunately, slipped and fallen in the process of climbing over the parapet wall,” Mr Bay added.

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