A “beautiful and talented” teenager fell to his death from a gallery in St Paul’s Cathedral, an inquest heard today.
University student Jorge De Sousa Stayton, 19, died from multiple injuries - including a "severe head injury” - after plummeting from the central London cathedral's Whispering Gallery, a 259-step climb from ground level, an inquest heard today.
Jorge - known as "JJ" to friends and family - was born in Herefordshire and was a student at Queen Mary University of London, the hearing was told.
His mother, who attended with her sister, sobbed as Senior Coroner Alison Hewitt opened the inquest at City of London Coroner's Court.
Ms Hewitt said: “The purpose of today is to open the inquest into the death of Jorge De Sousa Stayton.
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“I am opening the inquest on the basis of a witness statement that has been made by my coroner’s officer Bryony Oxlade.
“She tells me he was 19 years old, single, unmarried and born on May 10, 1999, in Herefordshire and he was a student.
“The circumstances of his death was that on April 1, 2019, he fell from the Whispering Gallery of St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
“There has been a post-mortem examination and the doctor has proposed the medical cause of death was multiple injuries, including a severe head injury.”
The inquest heard Ms De Sousa identified her son’s body at St Pancras Mortuary.
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Ms Hewitt added: “And that has been the evidence which will open this inquest.
“Further evidence has to be gathered, that is taking place as we speak - I am not going to fix a date because the evidence is still being gathered.”
His family, in a tribute issued through City of London Police, said: “We are all in deep shock at the loss of our beautiful, talented and intelligent son.
“He had a deep passion for history and revelled in sharing his knowledge with others.
“He truly was a young gentleman, always willing to help others where he could.
“With his wicked sense of humour and mischievous smile he could bring irrepressible joy to anyone in his company.
“Words cannot adequately express the devastation we feel, nor the love we have for him. The world is inarguably a lesser place without JJ.”
JJ’s death comes 18 months after figure skater Lidia Dragescu, 23, died after falling from the same gallery.
The Whispering Gallery is temporarily closed to visitors to the popular tourist spot.
On the St Paul's Cathedral website, posted on April 4, they say: "We have today taken the hard decision to temporarily close the Whispering Gallery whilst we assess whether there are any further safety measures that could be put in place."
There is no indication for when it will reopen.
