Mystery over death of dad found with head injury on school field by girl, 11, after CCTV of final moments went dark

THE death of a dad found by an 11-year-old girl on a school field remains a mystery after CCTV of his final moments went dark, an inquest heard. Neil Thompson, 45, was discovered at Smestow Academy in Wolverhampton on January 19 this year as the girl got ready to do PE. Neil’s body was discovered at Smestow Academy in Wolverhampton Credit: SWNS The dad’s death remains a mystery Credit: West Midlands Police An inquest heard he died from aspiration of blood caused by traumatic facial injuries and a traumatic head injury. Police initially launched a homicide investigation but the hearing was told mystery still surrounds exactly how he came to sustain his fatal injuries. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The court heard Neil had left his home on an electric bike at around 8.17pm on January 18 to visit a friend. He left at around 1am the next morning, with CCTV capturing the dad travelling along a canal towpath at 1.26am. A member of the public walking his dog through Smestow Valley Nature Reserve photographed him in the school grounds at around 7.15am. He was believed to still be alive at that point but what happened during the intervening hours remains unclear, the inquest was told. A post-mortem found significant injuries to the left side of his face, evidence of a traumatic brain injury and a fracture around the left eye socket. Neil had also suffered an injury to the front of his neck, the court was told. Most read in The Sun An 11-year-old girl found Neil’s body Credit: SWNS Police believe the dad crashed on his e-bike Credit: SWNS Consultant pathologist Dr Brett Lockyer said the injuries were consistent with blunt-force trauma and suggested Neil could have suffered the injuries in a heavy fall but could have also been assaulted. Giving evidence, West Midlands Police Detective Inspector Joe Davenport, who led the homicide investigation, said police carried out an extensive CCTV and forensic investigation. The probe placed Neil on the canal towpath between approximately 1am and 1.26am but there was no CCTV showing how he suffered his injuries. Det Insp Davenport said his own theory was that Neil may have been thrown from his bike while travelling at speed along the uneven towpath in poor weather conditions. The inquest also heard there was no clear understanding of how Neil got from the towpath to the school playing field where his body was found. He would have had to negotiate or scale a fence to enter the school grounds but investigators were unable to establish how or when he made that journey. Police also found no confirmed damage or blood evidence along the towpath during their investigation. CCTV from Smestow Academy and various access points to the nature reserve showed no evidence of another person with Neil on the canal towpath or around the school grounds at the relevant time. Investigators also found no evidence he had been robbed. But DI Davenport admitted the whole nature reserve could not be completely sealed off and therefore the possibility of another person being involved could not be entirely excluded. Black Country Area Coroner Mrs Joanne Lees recorded a narrative conclusion. She said Neil died from aspiration of blood caused by traumatic facial injuries and a traumatic head injury, with the circumstances in which those injuries were sustained unknown. In a statement at the time of his death, Neil’s family said: “Our beautiful son, brother, father and friend Chuck, very much loved in the community of fishing, his one true love. “His love for life and funny stories touched the lives of so many people.” The dad of the 11-year-old girl who found the body told previously how she was left “really shaken up” after making the grim discovery. He said: “My daughter phoned her mum up, screaming, and told her that she found a dead body by the goal posts on the field. “She’s only 11 years of age. They went out for PE and it was very foggy. “It’s terrible what she’s had to see.”