Expat who fell to his death ‘feared for life’

A BRITISH expat plunged to his death from his luxury island apartment in Qatar after telling friends he was a ‘dead man’ if he tried to leave the country.

Philip Cox, 40, was found dead in November last year after falling up to 20ft from his balcony on the day before he was due to fly back home to Wales.

Witness statements at an inquest described how Mr Cox had received death threats from apartment residents after he made a remark about the Queen Mother.

The quantity surveyor, from Brigend, had been working in Doha since March last year.

But on November 3 he told his employers that he wished to terminate his employment immediately. A flight back to the UK was arranged for the next day.

But on the day he was due to leave, his body was found near to the entrance of the complex, having fallen the evening before.

His father Richard Cox said: ‘The fact that he had arranged to come back to the UK, does not lend itself to Philip having jumped.’

Mr Cox’s family also expressed doubt of the thoroughness of the investigation by the Qatari authorities into his death.

Recording an open verdict at Aberdare Coroner’s Court, assistant coroner Graham Hughes said that because of the quality of evidence, it was ‘extremely difficult’ to answer the question of how Mr Cox died.