Man found dead in woods
A MUSICIAN found dead in woodland at Cwmbach had been suffering from a rare hearing condition that made him hypersensitive to sound, an inquest heard.
A MUSICIAN found dead in a woodland area at Cwmbach, close to where he grew up, had been suffering from a rare hearing condition that made him hypersensitive to sound.
Kelvin Edmunds, from Cyncoed, suffered with a condition called superior semi-circular canal dehiscence syndrome (SSCD).
The condition involves the thinning, or absence, of a portion of the temporal bone overlying the superior semicircular canal of the inner ear.
It can result in a person being hypersensitive to sound and can also cause balance disorders.
At an inquest into his death, Coroner Andrew Barkley said: “He (Mr Edmunds) could hear his heartbeat and his eyes move. This made him feel apprehensive.”
Mr Edmunds, from Cardiff, was last seen in Whitchurch, on October 5, 2017.
Aberdare Coroner’s Court heard the 61-yearold was found in a wooded area at Cwmbach, near Aberdare, where he grew up.
The inquest heard the former band member had previously tried to hang himself but he was saved by his partner Phanrutai Walford.
Reading a statement provided by Ms Walford, Mr Barkley said she followed him to the garden shed at their home in Cyncoed that September when she suspected something was wrong.
The court heard Mr Edmunds attacked Ms Walford when she intervened, leading to him facing a charge of assault, to which he had pleaded guilty.
Mr Edmunds spent some time at a psychiatric unit in Whitchurch following the incident. And he went missing on the day he was meant to appear at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court to be sentenced for assaulting Ms Walford.
The court heard he was worried about going to prison for attacking Ms Walford even though she assured him of her forgiveness.
In a statement read out by Mr Barkley, Ms Walford described Mr Edmunds as a “very caring man.”
When Mr Edmunds failed to attend the hearing, a warrant was issued for his arrest.
The court heard the body of Mr Edmunds was found when family and friends went looking for him. He was found dead in woods at Cwmbach where he used to spend time as a child.
His brother Phillip Edmunds gave evidence at the hearing. He said: “He was found in an area where we grew up. Me and Kelvin used to play there when we were kids.”
The court heard Mr Edmunds spent some time working in Libya after his band failed to be a big success. But his mental health was said to deteriorate after struggling to cope with his hearing condition SSCD for years.
He was also said to be worried about what the future would hold as both his parents had suffered from dementia.
Mr Barkley said: “He was charged with an offence in tragic and sad circumstances.
“He had been researching how to kill himself and he had written a will only weeks before.”
Mr Barkley concluded Mr Edmunds’ death was that of suicide.
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