A FATHER fell to his death after jumping over a barrier during a 'mental health episode' an inquest has been told.

Andrew Westlake had been asked to leave a flight home to the UK shortly before the incident at Dalaman Airport, in May 2018.

The 29-year-old father, from Annfield Plain, had been on holiday with family members but was asked to leave their hotel following a series of rows.

A statement from the manager of the Grand Aquarium Hotel, where the family was staying, read: “They started to have problems in the communal areas of the hotel. This information was given to Jet2 and officials came to talk to the family. They gave Andrew Westlake a warning. He said he was uneasy as he could not see his daughter and wanted to leave."

Mr Westlake went to the Honorary British Consulate in the resort of Marmaris, where he said he had been refused re-entry to the hotel, had no money and wanted to go to the airport even though his flight was not for three days.

The inquest in Crook, was told he was given a small amount of money from a charity fund to pay for food and his bus fare to the airport.

Mr Westlake’s partner Nicola Bell was on the flight he was asked to leave, but she was not sitting with him and did not see what happened when he was removed from the plane, County Durham and Darlington Assistant Coroner James Thompson was told.

Zuhal Mete, a Jet2 customer co-ordinator at Dalaman Airport, said she first met Mr Westlake when he was brought off the aircraft, but she later found out he had been at the airport for two days.

She said Mr Westlake looked scared and was “begging” her co-worker, saying “please don’t hit me”.

The colleague told her Mr Westlake was asked to leave the plane because he had been acting strangely and another passenger was “not happy” because of the behaviour.

Ms Mete said he had asked another passenger to help him through security, saying: “Please hold my passport because I cannot do it myself.”
And on the plane he complained about the air conditioning, saying he did not like the smell and it was “dangerous”.

Ms Mete said they offered him help to find accommodation and to call his family from their office, but she did not see him again once he was back in the main terminal.
Eye witnesses then said he fell about 50ft after jumping over a ledge inside the terminal.

Recording a narrative verdict, Mr Thompson said: "Andrew Westlake died from injuries caused by a fall of 10.2 metres. This occurred whilst he was suffering some form of mental health episode."

The coroner said he would write to the Civil Aviation Authority and Jet2 to discuss what can be done to help passengers who cannot travel and maybe suffering with mental health issues.