An 18-year-old student drowned in a flooded park after telling his girlfriend a man had tried to rape him, an inquest has heard. Fintan Jack Feltham vanished on November 27, 2024, following a night out in Oxford, and his body was discovered near Grandpont Nature Park on December 3.
The inquest heard that Fintan had been drinking at an army cadet bar, the Swan and Castle pub, and LGBTQ+ nightclub Plush before being ejected around 2.30am due to intoxication. CCTV showed him staggering through the city, and he made multiple calls to his girlfriend Molly, with the last conversation at 3.20am before his phone died.
Molly told the inquest: 'He said some guy tried to rape him. He said the guy was a b*****d. That is when he said he lost his glasses. He kept saying he was really cold and scared… I have never heard him be like that before.' Detective Constable Enya Lyons said an attack was 'possible' but no evidence was found.
Fintan was last seen on CCTV at Whitehouse Road at 3.31am. An eight-minute gap in footage was noted. Police were alerted shortly before 4am but did not initially classify him as high risk. A Thames Valley Police review concluded that he should have been recorded as a missing person sooner, though it would not have changed the outcome. The force also missed a sighting of his body on drone footage.
Coroner Nicholas Graham cited Fintan's intoxication, lack of glasses, and unfamiliarity with the area as contributing factors. A review of Plush's licensing found staff 'missed some opportunities' to spot his deterioration. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating a complaint about the force's handling of the case.
Fintan's father paid tribute, saying: 'His loss has not just been felt by his family and friends, but anyone who has spent a mere moment with him. We cannot get Fintan back, but we hope today lessons will be learned, changes will be made and Fintan will leave behind a legacy that we hope will prevent future deaths.'
