Camden New Journal - News: Crack den ‘victim’ student jumped from tower block

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Camden New Journal - by CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS
Published: 04 October 2007

Crack den ‘victim’ student jumped from tower block

A MUSIC student who hurled himself from a West Hampstead tower block had been woken by police breaking down his door five hours earlier, an inquest heard.
Colin Wright, known by the nickname Cal, died on his 35th birthday last October after jumping from scaffolding wrapped around the Casterbridge House high-rise block in Abbey Road.
Earlier that day his Camden Town flat was raided by police who suspected it of being a crack house, taken over by drug dealers who preyed on Mr Wright’s vulnerability.
They found crack pipes, syringes and silver foil lying around, St Pancras Coroner’s Court heard on Tuesday.
Mr Wright’s aunt and adoptive mother Susannah Smith told the court she was “very surprised” by his death because he had always been afraid of heights.
But her belief that he may have been pushed was rejected by Coroner Dr Andrew Reid, who ruled Mr Wright took his own life.
Mr Wright was a paranoid schizophrenic who would frequently break down with remorse about his shoplifting, said Mrs Smith.
“For the last seven to eight years he had been acting strangely,” she said.
“He was very confused and fed-up.
“He used to write a lot of songs and put all his money into making demos and trying to make something of himself.
“But things didn’t work out.”
Police and Camden’s housing workers said Singaporean-born Mr Wright, who had attempted to hang himself nine months before his death, had been exploited by underworld figures who took over his Agar Grove flat and turned it into a drugs den.
Sergeant Barry Loader, who carried out the raid, said: “As is classic in crack house closures, he was the
victim.
“He saw this (the raid) as a way out which is why he was quite happy.”
A health and safety executive report cleared Camden of wrongdoing over access to the scaffolding.
Dr Reid said: “I am not satisfied that there is a contribution to Mr Wright’s suicide as a result of a lack of attention from third parties. I am satisfied he voluntarily and deliberately climbed up to the 19th floor of the scaffolding from where he has deliberately jumped to his death.”
Within six months of Mr Wright’s death, a further two men were found dead at the base of Casterbridge House, leading residents to accuse Camden of neglect for not removing the scaffolding earlier.

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