Romanian's hanging 'an accident'

First Edition

A ROMANIAN who was refused asylum in Britain was found hanged at his home, an inquest was told yesterday. Cosma Alexander Axente had applied for asylum on 6 August last year when he landed at Heathrow airport, after leaving his wife and two children in Bucharest.

The inquest at Birmingham heard that Mr Axente, 37, was told by the Home Office on 6 July that his application would be refused. His badly-decomposed body was found hanging at his rented home in Ladywood, Birmingham, on 10 August.

The Coroner's officer, Michael Brookes, said that Mr Axente's employers became suspicious when he had not been at work for a number of days and colleagues made a forced entry. Mr Axente was a mechanical and electrical designer with British Rail.

'The rejection did not place him under any undue pressure because he had the right of appeal which would take 12 months or more. Until this appeal decision had been made he would not have to leave this country,' Mr Brookes said. Investigations by the British Embassy in Bucharest revealed Mr Axente had no mental or psychiatric problems.

Mr Brookes added that Mrs Axente knew of her husband's death but was not able to gain entry to this country.

Sgt Steven Coles told the hearing: 'The body of the man was found hanging from the loft in unusual circumstances. There are no suspicious circumstances and no other person was involved. I believe that he did not mean to kill himself.'

The deputy coroner, Christopher Ball, recorded a verdict of accidental death. 'There is no evidence this man intended to take his own life,' he said.