A TEENAGER who was strangled on his jacket when he tried to climb over a gate, was not burgling the property, an inquest has heard.

Carl Ford, 19, was trying to climb over a 7ft high gate, next to a house in St John’s Road, Colchester, when his sleeve snagged on an iron spike.

His zip-up jacket rose up around his throat and strangled him.

Mr Ford, of Primrose Walk, Colchester, was spotted hanging from the fence on March 1 last year, at 8.15pm, by a passer-by who was unable to free him.

An ambulance took Mr Ford to Colchester General Hospital where he died the following day.

His family, who wanted to quash rumours he had tried to burgle the property, told the inquest at Chelmsford he may have been using the property as a shortcut on his way home from the pub.

Det Sgt Richard Edwards, formerly of Colchester CID, carried out an investigation into Mr Ford’s death.

He said: “On arrival, officers found Mr Ford snagged by his sleeve and the garment had risen up around his throat.

“The officers assisted paramedics in recovering him from the gate.

“There appears to be no relationship between Mr Ford and the property and there appears to be no third party involved.

“Scenes of crime officers found mud on the gate and it appears as if Mr Ford was climbing from the inside.

“There was no evidence of damage to the property or that anything was missing.”

A post-mortem examination found the cause of death to be asphyxiation due to hanging.

A toxicology report found alcohol and traces of cannabis in his bloodstream.

Mr Ford’s family told Essex assistant deputy coroner Lorna Tagliavini he may have been using the garden as a shortcut on his way home from the pub.

Mrs Tagliavini said: “The circumstances as to how or why he came to be where he was are not entirely clear.

“I accept the police officer’s evidence there are no suspicious circumstances, no third party in the death and no evidence to suggest it was an act of self harm.”

She recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Following the inquest Mr Ford’s mother, Marion, said: “We can finally get closure now.

“We are pleased people can’t say he was doing something wrong.”