Father was found dead near school

A “MUCH-LOVED” father and grandfather was found dead near a school hours after being seen “in good spirits” at a local pub.

Gwyn Perryman, of Cardiff Road, Pontypridd, was found “slumped against the railings” outside Hawthorn High School, near Pontypridd, on December 3, 2017.

An inquest into his death was held at Pontypridd. The hearing was told the 52-year-old owner of haulage firm GWP Transport was found dead at about 7.10am.

In a statement read out by coroner Andrew Barkley, Mr Perryman’s wife Claire told the inquest they had been socialising with friends in Barry the evening before he was found dead.

Mrs Perryman said her husband had been “drinking bottles of beer but he didn’t have many”. She said they got home at about 12.30am on December 3.

Mrs Perryman said her husband took their dog for a walk. He returned at about 2am but went out again without the dog because “he said he couldn’t settle”. Mrs Perryman said it was the last time she saw her husband.

In statement read out to the court by the coroner, Craig Stewart David – landlord of the Hawthorn Inn on Cardiff Road – said Mr Perryman was seen in the pub in the early hours of Sunday, December 3.

Mr David said: “He seemed his normal self and was in good spirits. He was chatting to people in the bar which wasn’t out of the ordinary for him. There was no reason for me to have any concerns for Gwyn.”

In a statement read to the hearing, Adam Jones, who lived near Hawthorn High School, said he discovered a man leaning against the railings of the school at about 7.15am. The emergency services were called and Mr Perryman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Coroner Andrew Barkley accepted the cause of death offered by pathologist Dr Esther Youd as death by hanging. He recorded a narrative verdict and said Mr Perryman died from the effects of selfsuspension in circumstances that are unclear.

Speaking after the inquest his son Richard Perryman said: “He was very strong with nothing but determination. He had an attitude that nothing is ever handed to you unless you earned it. He was very much loved. I’m going to miss him and his grand kids are going to miss him.”

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