Latest news with #MartinaCliffe
BBC News
02-07-2025
- BBC News
Jonty Evans: 'We will never know how Nantwich teen came to die in river'
It will never be possible to know how a teen found dead in a river came to be there, a coroner has body of Jonty Evans, 16, was discovered by police divers in the river Weaver near Riverside, Nantwich, on 1 mother Martina Cliffe had earlier shared suspicions that others were involved in his death, but the coroner said she could not "rule in or out any third party involvement."Recording a narrative verdict at the end of a two-day hearing at Cheshire Coroner's Court, Victoria Davies said Jonty died from the effects of immersion in water, but the possibilities of him either falling in or anyone else's involvement could not "be ruled out". Jonty's family reported him missing the day after he failed to return home from a night out at Nantwich Food Festival, on 30 the hours before his death, he had been seen sharing a bottle of gin and drinking vodka and another clear was last seen on CCTV shortly before 01:00 BST on 31 August entering Mill Island alone, near the junction of Mill Street. The court heard from Home Office pathologist Dr Matthew Lyall, who examined Jonty's body three days after it was said he had identified minor grazes and bruises on his skin which were common to bodies found in shallow explained he could not determine the cause of unusual bruising to muscles at the front of the neck, but ruled out strangulation since the voice box and hyoid bone were uninjured."That bruise in itself does not prove a fatal injury... the evidence is simply not there to advance strangulation as explanation for the death," he told the his report, Dr Lyall offered the likely cause of death to be the "effects of immersion" and said this could include both drowning or the impact of cold had found features that could suggest drowning, such as well expanded lungs, and liquid in the chest but, "didn't feel that they were sufficiently developed that I would settle that they must be that", he said. Jonty's body had 186 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, described in his report as "marked intoxication". The drink driving limit is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millitres of blood."I think most people who are drunk they'd probably be around 150," he said. "So it's safe to assume that this level of 186 would have had a noticeable effect on Jonty?" Ms Davies asked."I think that's likely," the pathologist replied. Unanswered questions Martina Cliffe, Jonty's mother, told the court on Tuesday she had heard her son calling for help and people "plotting" against him on home security footage from a property on Riverside, near the her verdict, Ms Davies said: "I do not hear what the family hear."I cannot rule out there are people talking about Jonty but the footage is largely inaudible and I cannot say where they are."Evidentially, I find the footage obtained from Riverside does not rule in or out any third party involvement."She acknowledged, while police had determined there was not anyone else in the park at the time of Jonty's death, save for one couple who had not come forward, there were numerous ways to enter and it "remains a possibility there was someone else there". The court also heard on Tuesday Jonty had become covered in tar earlier in the night when climbing onto a lorry with a Davies suggested it was also possible he may have overbalanced and fallen into the river while attempting to wash it off, but said there was no direct evidence to support concluding, she said she was satisfied Jonty's death was caused by being in the water and the evidence weighted in favour of it being an accident."I cannot say whether this was due to drowning or the reflex effects of being in water, which can lead to cardiac arrest," she said."Sadly, I think we are never going to be able to establish the true circumstances as to how Jonty came to be in the water."Addressing Jonty's mother and aunt, she said she appreciated how frustrating it would be to have unanswered questions."I am truly very sorry to you and the rest of your family for your loss," she added. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
01-07-2025
- BBC News
Mum of teen found dead in Nantwich river suspects others involved
The mother of a teenager whose body was found in a river has told his inquest she believes other people were involved in his Evans, 16, was found in the River Weaver in Nantwich, Cheshire, on 1 September, after being reported missing the previous day. Martina Cliffe told Cheshire Coroner's Court she could hear her son calling for help in home security footage she had reviewed via property near the site, and that she was aware of people "plotting" to frame him over drugs matters. Det Sgt Emily Cole from Cheshire Police told the hearing the force was unable to either rule in or rule out third-party involvement amid a lack of clear evidence surrounding the teenager's demise. Area coroner Victoria Davies heard Jonty visited Nantwich Food Festival on the afternoon of 30 August with his brother and a Cliffe said she arranged to pick up her boys at 22:30 BST, but Jonty had wanted to stay out and said he would stop over at his friend's said he had seemed fine when she spoke to him on the phone, although she could tell he had drunk alcohol and was "merry".When he had not returned home by the following afternoon, she contacted police to report him court heard the teenager was last seen on CCTV shortly before 01:00 BST on 31 August entering Mill Island park, near the junction of Mill to the cries of help she referenced, Ms Cliffe told the court that police did not "hear what I hear" in the audio recorded at a home near to the park on Riverside. "They find it inaudible," she claimed the same audio source also revealed her son's name being mentioned in connection with £8,000 of drugs stolen that day. "They're plotting and it's all over drugs," she said. "They want to get away with these drugs so they're blaming my added she could hear Jonty's voice calling "help, help, help".She told the court: "As a mother I can recognise his voice, I can recognise him retaliating. I don't know if he's fighting or just shouting and screaming," she said.A cause of death did not emerge in court during Monday's Cliffe told the inquest she believed pathology evidence revealing dirt lodged in her son's fingernails was proof "he was grabbing at soil" when he went into the river."That's why I think there were other people involved," she added she had identified suspects based on recordings made at her son's grave via recording equipment she left there, which, she said, she intended to pass on to stated her "bubbly, happy" son's mood had not changed prior to his death. 'Rumours and hearsay' Det Sgt Cole told the court that witnesses and CCTV suggested Jonty shared a bottle of gin on the day in question, shoplifting the alcohol with a friend. He was later seen drinking vodka, the officer said investigations focused on three possible hypotheses: That Jonty had entered the water due to a third party; slipped in due to intoxication; or gone in said police had followed up on local "rumours" into the involvement of a third party, speaking to more than 180 people and reviewing 420 hours of CCTV footage, but concluded "it was literally hearsay".She added there was nothing at the scene suggesting evidence of a struggle, or that Jonty had slipped."The pathology report indicated no injuries and his clothing had not been ripped," she said. In addition, inquiries were unable to connect the audio and video footage highlighted by Ms Cliffe to Jonty's death, she teenagers previously arrested on suspicion of assault following an altercation with Jonty earlier in the evening were released after they were found to be nowhere near the river during the night, the officer confirmed. Ms Davies said: "I understand, while not able to rule out third party involvement because there's no clear evidence about what happened after Jonty entered the park, you can't rule it in, you can't rule it out?"The officer confirmed that was true and added a number of witness appeals had failed to identify anybody else in the park at a similar time. The court also heard the teenager had been arguing with his girlfriend on the phone over a video which appeared to show him kissing or hugging another girl. His girlfriend told police he sounded "strange" and "rambling" and seemed drunk. The fact-finding inquest, which will not establish civil or criminal liability, is due to conclude on Wednesday after pathology evidence. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on Facebook, X and Instagram.
