THERE is no proof that a man from East Grafton who died after falling from a 12th-storey apartment in New York committed suicide, an inquest has ruled.

Charles Iain James Randall was visiting cousins in New York on February 25, 2015 after spending some time in Las Vegas and San Francisco.

They were woken in the early hours by police who had found his body on the pavement outside their home.

The coroner’s court in Salisbury today heard how Mr Randall, 33, had called his brother on the day of his death, concerned by the voices he could hear in his head.

A statement from Winsome Brown, with whom he had been staying in the Manhattan apartment in Hudson Street, said: “We had gone out for a meal to celebrate a birthday but Charles and I had returned home by 8pm. Charles had a bath when we got back, afterwards I hugged him and then went to bed.

"Later Charles knocked on my door but I was asleep and my husband Claude answered him. He told Claude that he was hearing voices so Claude made him some camomile tea, and Charles said 'goodnight'.

"We were woken up by the police who said Charles had jumped out the window.”

An autopsy report carried out in New York concluded that Mr Randall was pronounced dead at 3.51am on February 26 and had suffered trauma to various parts of his body. He had only a little alcohol in his system and had only taken drugs for allergies.

His brother, Oliver Randall, told the inquest: “I remember him calling me on February 25, at around 9pm my time which would’ve been 3pm for him in New York and I remember him saying that everyone was out to get him and he didn’t trust anyone.

"We never used to speak about his medication but we did during the phone call, which I was quite happy about because he opened up to me about it.

“The next morning I had a missed call, it was about 7.30am, from my cousin's flat so I called back and there was no answer. I remember thinking that whatever it was he was over it. Within 48 hours I was over in New York to see Charles’ body and pick up his things.

“We were close, we spoke often. At school he was always adventurous, he was the most popular person I knew. Then there was the second part of him, always partying and drinking, which had begun to upset his bosses.

“I remember in 2002 he moved out to China for work, that is when I noticed him beginning to change.

"In 2005 I went out to China for a friend’s wedding and he was living on a small island near Shanghai, he was involved in this commune where there was a bit of drug culture.”

The inquest heard Mr Randall never spoke about self-harm or suicide and had been assessed by his GP to be of no threat to himself so long as he took his medication.

Assistant Coroner Ian Singleton said: “My conclusion is that whilst staying at the apartment in Hudson Street, Charles, who was diagnosed with psychosis, failed to take his medication and fell to his death.

"The circumstances to the fall remain unknown.

"There is no sign to the mental health team failing him, as he improved with higher doses of his medication.”