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Benidorm Death Has Left A Plymouth Family With No Real Answers

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Philip Duerden, 48, was enjoying his holiday last year in Benidorm but on the 11th July after being separated from friends on a night out, the Plymouth man was found dead on a beach in Benidorm.

Police investigating the death of Philip Duerden could not come to a conclusion of how he ended up on the beach in Benidorm and how he died and as a result of the police investigation and the inquest into his death, the Plymouth’s deputy coroner, Andrew Cox has recorded an open verdict.

Andrew Cox said: “It is my job to find clarity, if not certainty, but I’m afraid I cannot do that in this case,”

Paul Hawken who had been a friend of Philip Duerden for over 20 years and who went on holiday with the deceased was called as a witness for the inquest

‘Benidorm Beach Death Left Unexplained’

He said: “He liked to go out socially and have a drink, and he had a good circle of friends. We were having fun and we were staying for a week. We had been drinking during the day and then went out but Philip wanted to go back to the apartment so we gave him a key and left him on a bench by the beach.

“He had about seven or eight bottles of beer that night. He was drunk but still together and in control. On our way back we looked on the beach to see if we could see him and he wasn’t in the room. We had to wait 24 hours before we could report it to police as a missing person. When we did they had found a body,” he said.

According to the inquest, Philip was seen on the beach on Benidorm doing strange things and when he was taken out of the sea a witness carried out CPR but unfortunately Philip was pronounced dead at 12.15am.

Mr Cox added: “There is no past medical history or other evidence that would suggest he was emotionally or financially in difficulties. There is no suggestion he was having suicidal thoughts as he had already booked to see the Grand Prix at the end of August 2011.”

A post-mortem was carried out in Spain which gave the cause of death as drowning but a second post-mortem was carried out in the UK where the results were inconclusive.

Mr Cox said: “I think that’s what everyone is struggling with. For reasons out of your control the crucial questions here remain unanswered.

“It doesn’t look like he was the victim of an assault, but I cannot conclude that with certainty. I don’t know why he was in the sea or why he went in fully dressed.

“I’m also not sufficiently comfortable to say drowning was his cause of death, I support the pathologist from Derriford Hospital, that his death was unascertained.”

Mr Cox recorded an open verdict as a result of Mr Duerden’s death.

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