David John Grover, 72, from Margate in Kent, was found dead on rocks at the base of a cliff in Mousehole, Cornwall, after he fled from his trial for serious sexual allegations. His family believe "he was ruined by an unhinged fantasist".
Discovery and Emergency Response
His body was spotted by walkers on Saturday, November 22, triggering a large-scale emergency response. Devon and Cornwall Police and ambulance crews were summoned to the coastal path. Coastguard cliff rescue teams and RNLI crews scoured the cliff and water below. Emergency services were alerted to the scene around 2pm following reports of concern for a man's welfare along Cliff Road in Mousehole.
Trial and Flight
The 72-year-old had been scheduled to hear the jury's verdict in his trial at Canterbury Crown Court the previous day but failed to appear in court. Consequently, a high-risk missing person warrant was issued by police in Kent. Mr Grover, who had not yet learned the outcome of his five-day trial, took a taxi to Margate train station, withdrew £200 in cash and travelled by train to St Pancras in London before being found dead in Mousehole near Penzance the following day.
Family's Account
An inquest into his death, held in Truro on Tuesday, heard how Mr Grover's health began to decline as sexual allegations were levelled against him two years prior to his death. He was charged with three counts of indecent assault, one of sexual assault and a fifth charge of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity in relation to an alleged sexual assault on a female under the age of 14 three decades ago.
His daughter Sherie Seal spoke at the coroner's court about her father's vibrant personality and sense of humour, describing him as a proud man who was cherished by his family and friends. She shared how he was a fan of bowling and served as the captain of the Margate bowling club. He had a dog that he had raised from a puppy and enjoyed playing chess or board games with his grandchildren. She said: "His overall health deteriorated when false allegations were made against him that happened 30 years ago. That caused him sleepless nights."
Mrs Seal revealed she attended the trial every day to stand by her father. She added: "He had already been destroyed the day false allegations were made. On the day of the closing statements you could see that my dad was broken. He was very quiet and distant. I told him it would be okay." She told the inquest how her father still could not accept the allegations and believes he was poorly treated by police investigating them. "Dad was a strong living man and he was ruined by an unhinged, lying fantasist," she said.
Investigation and Conclusion
The inquest heard that Mr Grover had arranged a brief stay at the Queen's Hotel on Penzance Promenade the week before his trial was set to begin, and he was well-acquainted with the area. A police investigation revealed that Mr Grover had last been seen in court the day prior to his death but he absconded on the day the jury was due to deliver its verdict. He was found dead in Mousehole the following day having hidden his digital footprint by withdrawing £200 in cash instead of using cards. A post-mortem examination showed that Mr Grover drowned.
The police officer investigating stated there were no third party or suspicious circumstances involved. Andrew Cox, senior coroner for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said that while he was the subject of an ongoing criminal trial, no conclusion had yet been reached and no conviction. He said: "The jury had not returned its verdict. On the last day of the trial, Mr Grover took a taxi to the train station and then the train to St Pancras in London. What happened after that, we don't know. He travelled from London to Cornwall and Penzance but there is no evidence of how he did it, whether he took the train or hitched a lift." Due to the lack of definitive evidence regarding Mr Grover's demise, Mr Cox recorded an open conclusion.
