Rugby starlet in cliff plunge

News Archive > General > Rugby starlet in cliff plunge

Simon Fernley08/09/2010

from two of Andrew’s friends who told how they had paid ‘VIP’ pub crawls £5 for a night of drinking games and ‘free shots’. Their six foot four tall friend, whose tearful mother Janet told the court was unused to drinking, lost his wallet and was split up from his 12 friends.

Last heard of phoning friend Robin Kitchen shortly after midnight, he was out looking for a lost wallet containing his cash and credit cards when he fell. He wandered into the grounds of a large house by a hotel and most likely stepped over a garden wall which had a sheer 100ft cliff drop.

Mr Kitchen, 19, told the court: “We went to Bar Help at 8pm and at about that time we started a bar crawl organised by ‘VIP’. They organised a pub crawl for about 50 people to go to different pubs and do drinking games.

“There was a free shot with every drink. We went to Sailors, On the Rocks, Barracuda and Corkers.
“Andrew tried to get into the Beach nightclub, but couldn’t because he lost his wallet.

“We were all drunk and had had quite a lot to drink. Andrew was drinking vodka and Tango before we went out.

“On the night out, in every bar we went into we had a bottle of beer or an alco-pop with some shots, like vodka or sambuca. The last I saw Andrew he was drinking a blue ‘Wicked’ drink.”

Questioned by Coroner Barrie Van Den Berg, Mr Kitchen said: “We would never normally drink that amount of alcohol but we were on holiday having a good time.”

Mr Van Den Berg offered: “It was a one off? The friend went on: “The VIP pub crawl company – they were just stopping people in the street selling wristbands ­– they give you a time to meet at a certain bar and you turn up.

The Coroner said: “I don’t suppose they do this for free?”
He replied: “No. It was about a fiver. To go around all the bars.”

Andrew, a Leeds Rhino player
described after the tragedy by police as having a “promising future”, was found in a pool of blood next
morning on Great Western Beach.

He had stumbled over a garden well in the pitch dark. It was his first visit to Newquay.
The court heard from his friend James Kidd who said: “It was a lads’ holiday – when you do drink more, when you’re with a group of friends.

“We drank before we went on the bar crawl – we kind of lost track of time – we weren’t wearing watches.”

Describing how the friends had got split up, James said: “I’d had a lot to drink – different shots and beer, and alco-pops and about a litre of cider.
“Everyone seemed to be drunk and Andrew was quite drunk.

“When he lost his wallet he seemed annoyed – he wanted to find it.
“He set out to retrace his steps and was very edgy. We tried to calm him down but he said:

‘It’s the worst thing that can happen.’

“He said he had £100 in it and his credit cards. He was annoyed and wouldn’t calm down and he kept repeating: ‘It’s the worst thing that can happen’.”