Soho Pub Crawl Preceded Sales Broker's Fatal Rooftop Fall, Inquest Hears
A sales broker who tragically fell to his death from a rooftop in Soho had spent the hours before the incident on a solo pub crawl, an inquest has heard. Ryley Harbord, aged 22, plunged from a building on Brewer Street in central London shortly after 2am on May 3 last year.
Sequence of Events Leading to the Fall
The coroner was informed that Mr Harbord began his evening at Simmons Bar in Piccadilly Circus around 9pm, where he became separated from a group. Detective Sergeant James Harrison of the Metropolitan Police told the Inner West London Coroner's Court that Mr Harbord later got into altercations with staff at Bill's restaurant and the Piccadilly Theatre.
After scaling a gate, he appeared to become trapped. CCTV footage captured him around midnight approaching stairs that led to residential rooftops above. Audio recorded approximately 15 minutes prior to the 999 call reporting his fall revealed a man's voice shouting expletives, followed by the sounds of smashed glass and sirens.
Investigation and Medical Findings
The Metropolitan Police investigation could not establish how Mr Harbord accessed the location, as he did not know anyone at the property and there were no obvious entry points. It was ultimately concluded there was no third-party involvement. A paramedic noted a cracked skylight at the scene in a statement provided to assistant coroner Sophie Mortimer.
An autopsy determined the cause of death was a head injury, with Mr Harbord sustaining multiple skull and sternum fractures, brain and scalp lacerations, and contusions on both lungs. His blood alcohol level was recorded at 251mg/100ml, more than triple the legal driving limit, and his system tested positive for recreational amounts of cocaine and remnants of ADHD medication.
Background and Open Conclusion
Mr Harbord, from Dartford, had previously stopped taking ADHD medication at age 15 but approached his GP about restarting it in 2023. He had complained of feeling out of control and had a history of excessive alcohol, cocaine, and ketamine use. Although referred to drug and alcohol support services, his case was closed when he failed to respond to contact attempts. He had been assessed as low risk of overdose or self-harm before his death.
Upon considering the evidence, District Judge Mortimer recorded an open conclusion, stating it was not possible to know how Mr Harbord came to be on the rooftop or whether the fall was accidental or deliberate.
