William Chapman, 24, who died after entering the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster on Saturday, October 10, was described by a neighbour as a “lovely, lovely” man. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A post-mortem examination has been carried out, with a provisional cause of death of 1A multiple traumatic injuries and 1B animal interaction, an inquest heard on Thursday, October 15. A fuller report will be provided.
Inquest opens into death
The details were confirmed as the inquest into Mr Chapman's death opened at Doncaster Coroners' Court. The coroner's officer told the court: “This case relates to the death of a 24-year-old man who passed away at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on the 10th of October.”
“He attended Yorkshire Wildlife Park, where at 13.31 hours he climbed two fences and entered the tiger enclosure... He approached the tiger and, following an interaction, suffered multiple traumatic injuries.”
The inquest also heard that Mr Chapman had a history of mental illness and a diagnosis of schizophrenia. He had suffered previous bouts of psychosis, the hearing was told.
Neighbour pays tribute
Josh Anderton, 24, moved in next door around four months ago and said Mr Chapman would spend time in the nearby Ballers Sports Bar. Josh, who lives with his girlfriend, told the Mirror: “I knew William, I have been here about four to five months and William was already here.”
“I knew him from work, he was a lovely, lovely man. He was absolutely harmless. He definitely struggled with [mental health problems]. For the first year in the pub, he would come in, and he would struggle to speak to people. He would come in and just linger and wouldn't speak. But for the past six months, he had become very approachable, very friendly.”
He added: “He told me he used to be on a kids' TV show. We were walking to the bus stop and I was watching something on my phone when he said, 'Oh, I used to be on the TV'. He loved his Formula One. All he'd ever speak about was F1.”
Council investigation launched
Mr Chapman was a child actor who appeared on series broadcast on the BBC and ITV, including ITV's May Contain Nuts and the BBC's True Stories series, according to IMDB. Mr Anderton described him as someone who “seemed normal” and spoke of his shock when he found out he had died.
“I saw him about a week before [his death],” he said. “I went from not seeing him at all to seeing him daily. He used to hold the door open for my partner all the time. The last time I saw him he just seemed normal, he didn't seem out of his usual self. He lived alone, but I didn't go into his flat. He was a very individual person. He started to bridge connections and everyone at the pub used to get on with him. He'd go in regularly, he'd have a pint of orange juice or perhaps a pint of John Smiths. He was very responsible.”
Josh added: “We had no idea what had happened we just knew someone had jumped into the tiger's enclosure. But then we saw his face on the news. Me and my missus had just woken up and we looked at each other and said, 'What the f***'. He seemed relatively stable-minded, so we never saw that coming.”
City of Doncaster Council, which is responsible for licensing the park, said on Monday, October 12, it had started a health and safety investigation. Dan Swaine, executive director of place at City of Doncaster Council, said: “As the relevant licensing authority for the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, I can confirm that, in line with our statutory duties, the council has launched a health and safety investigation.”
The coroner's officer has been asked to contact Yorkshire Wildlife Park to ensure any CCTV is obtained, and to find out if Mr Chapman attended the park previously. An inquest date has been set for March 18 next year.
