Brit who vanished on first day of family holiday to Turkey after being escorted off plane ‘died falling from height’
A BRIT who disappeared on the first day of a family holiday after being escorted off the plane died following a suspected fall, an inquest heard.
Ben Crook travelled to Antalya, Turkey, with his partner and her two children to celebrate his 32nd birthday.
An inquest heard he had been drinking from his home in Caerphilly on the way to Bristol Airport, where he continued boozing.
Ben then had a drunken row with his partner that led to him being escorted off the plane when it landed in Turkey.
He was last seen Kaleiçi, the old town district of Antalya, before he disappeared.
Gwent Coroner’s Court heard Ben had smashed his and his partner’s phones and so there was no way for anyone to contact him.
He was discovered the following day in the Selçuk area – less than a mile from the hotel where the family were staying.
Area Coroner Rose Farmer said a post-mortem had been carried out in Antalya but she had not yet been provided with its results.
But a second autopsy carried out when his body was returned to the UK found he had “fallen from a height and died from injuries sustained, it’s believed, as a result of a fall”.
The full inquest was adjourned until April 17 next year.
A GoFundMe page set up to help Ben’s family following his death has since raised almost £14,000 in his memory.
The appeal said: “Ben was a right character with an infectious smile, a wicked sense of humour and thanks to those random acts, stupid comments or busting out those dance moves, he could brighten up the dullest day and make you laugh til you cried.
“So many great memories to cherish Ben boy, you really will be missed more than you will ever know.”