A "funny" and "intelligent" university student died after climbing out of a bathroom window in a moment of "sudden madness" following a heavy drinking session, an inquest heard.
Andreas Rotis Christou, 20, a former pupil at St Cyprian's Greek Orthodox Primary school in Thornton Heath, was found unconscious on the pavement after plunging from the fourth floor of flat in Edinburgh, where he studied, on the night of October 29 last year.
The English and History student, of Norbury, was rushed to hospital with "catastrophic" head and neck injuries but was pronounced dead just after midnight.
An inquest at Croydon Coroner's Court yesterday heard how Mr Christou, of Green Lane, had been "knocking back red wine" earlier in the evening while at dinner with his father, Christos, who was visiting from London that day.
In a written statement read out by coroner Selena Lynch, Mr Christou said he had never seen his son drink red wine before and tried to stop him after realising how drunk he was.
He later walked his son home to his flat in Dalkeith Road and during the journey told his son how "proud" he was of him, his statement read.
Once back at the flat, the student lay down on the floor and began making "drunk childlike noises" before appearing to pass out, according to the statement of his housemate Isabel Jahnke.
Andreas Christou on North Bridge, Edinburgh. Photo: Facebook
She said: "He never showed signs that he recognised me, which to me suggests he was hammered."
Ms Jahnke described watching Mr Christou Snr kneeling next to his son, "gently slapping in cheeks" and speaking softly in Greek, trying to wake him up.
Sometime later Andreas began complaining of feeling sick and went to the bathroom, where he locked the door.
His father and flatmates described hearing banging and swearing coming from inside the bathroom, as they pleaded with him to open the door.
Eventually Ms Jahnke's boyfriend kicked the door down and inside the group found the bathroom empty and the large sash window above the toilet fully open.
In her statement, friend Lila Grandgeorge described Andreas Christou as an "occasional" drinker who "tended to binge drink" if he was going out.
She added: "I really can't explain it. It was just sudden madness."
Another friend described the student in a statement as an "ordinary guy" who was "intelligent", "funny", and "very polite".
The inquest also heard that, aside from a diagnoses of mild Aspergers syndrome in 2002, Mr Christou was not known to be suffering from any mental health condition.
Ms Lynch said that, although there was no trace of any other drugs in Mr Christou's system, a toxicology report had found very high alcohol levels in his blood and urine.
Addressing his mother, Lena Christou, who attended the inquest, Ms Lynch said: "You must be bewildered from a legal point of view; I am too. It's really difficult to know what on earth was going through his mind.
A friend described the student as an "ordinary guy" who was "intelligent", "funny", and "very polite". Photo: Facebook
"There is no room for this being an accident [but] it would be wrong for to say this was a case of suicide. I just don't have enough evidence.
"He's gone to some trouble going out of the window. [You would] need to be quite nimble to go from that toilet seat out to that window."
"Some people do get very distressed when they drinking and are just not in charge of themselves.
“[He was] highly intoxicated and may not have understood the nature and quality in his acts."
Expressing her condolences to Mr Christou's family, Ms Lynch added: "[It is an] absolute tragedy and I am sure his death will stay with you forever as a family. But I do hope in time you will remember him and happy and heartier times.
"There is no suggestion he was ever conscious at the scene, which I hope might be some comfort for the family.
The coroner recorded an open conclusion.
Got a story? Call the newsdesk on 020 8722 6388 or email daniel.omahony@newsquest.co.uk
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