Inquest opens into holidaymaker hanging death

AN inquest has been opened into the death of a young woman holidaymaker at Butlins, Minehead, which police initially treated as murder.
Evidence of identification was given before the hearing was adjourned by the Somerset West Coroner, Michael Rose, to a date to be fixed.
The woman has been named as 19-year-old Rebekkah Geor-Bond, of Tir-y-Birth, Hengoed, near Caerphilly, South Wales.
She was staying at Butlins with her 26-year-old boyfriend, also from Hengoed, who was initially arrested on suspicion of murdering her but later released without charge when it became clear there were no suspicious circumstances.
Miss Geor-Bond is believed to have hanged herself in the couple's chalet at about 3 am on Saturday, April 21, and she died just over an hour later in Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital.
A post mortem revealed the cause of death was asphyxiation due to strangulation.
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Murder inquiry woman may have 'hanged herself'

A TEENAGE holidaymaker whose death at Butlins, Minehead, was initially treated as murder may have committed suicide in the chalet where she was staying.
A post mortem has revealed the 19-year-old woman died as a result of hanging.
Earlier, her 26-year-old boyfriend had been arrested on suspicion of murder and then later released without charge.
The young woman was found suffering serious injuries in her chalet at about 3 am on Saturday, April 21, and was taken to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, where she died just over an hour later.
Although police have not yet named her, she is believed to be Rebecca Gore-Bond, of Duffryn Street, Tir-y-Berth, Hengoed, which is a small town in South Wales.
The circumstances of her death will be determined when the Somerset West Coroner holds an inquest.
A police spokesman said: “We are not looking for anybody else in connection with this.”
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Police release Butlins murder suspect without charge

A MURDER inquiry into the death of a young woman holidaymaker staying at Butlins, Minehead, has been dropped.
Police have released without charge a 26-year-old man whom they had arrested on suspicion of murdering his 19-year-old girlfriend in the early hours of Saturday, April 21.
The woman was found in a chalet at the holiday centre suffering from severe head injuries at about 3 am and she died little more than an hour later in Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton.
Although some reports said the woman may also have suffered strangulation, police said they were no longer treating the death as suspicious.
The decision followed a post mortem on the woman, the details of which have not been revealed by the police.
Instead, police are preparing a file for an inquest into the death to be held by the Somerset West Coroner.
The inquest is expected to be opened shortly for formal identification purposes and is likely then to be adjourned until a later date.
Both the dead woman and her partner are believed to come from Hengoed, a small town with just under 4,000 residents, near Caerphilly, in Mid Glamorgan, South Wales.
Following the woman’s death, part of the Butlins holiday centre was sealed off to allow forensic investigators to search the area.
Police also spoke to some of the other 4,500 holidaymakers staying at the resort, although most were unaware of the incident and it did not disrupt the operation of the centre.
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Murder inquiry police arrest man at Butlins

POLICE have launched a murder inquiry after an incident at Butlins holiday centre, in Minehead.
They were called to the centre at 3 am on Saturday, April 21, after reports of a 19-year-old woman being found with serious injuries.
The woman, who is believed to be from the Mid Glamorgan area of South Wales, was taken to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, but died shortly after 4 am.
A 26-year-old man, also from Mid-Glamorgan, has been arrested at Butlins on suspicion of murder and was taken into custody in Taunton Police Station.
An area of the camp was sealed off for police crime scene investigators to carry out a forensic examination, and officers were also speaking to other Butlins holidaymakers.
The dead woman had not yet been formally identified and a post mortem was still to be held.
Police have appealed for any witnesses or anybody who may have seen anything suspicious at Butlins overnight to contact them.
Anybody who can help should contact the police through the secure Crimestoppers contact form at https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/crimestoppers/ContactForm.aspx.
Alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers on the free telephone number 0800 555 111, where they do not have to give their name and where they could receive a reward.
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