Dad of two died at wedding reception
AMAN lost consciousness and died at a rugby club wedding reception after being restrained by family members, an inquest has heard.
Kerry Morgan died in the early hours of July 7, 2019, at a wedding reception at New Tredegar Rugby Club. He had been involved in an altercation in which relatives held him down.
The 40-year-old had been in a “psychotic rage” over an “innocent joke” told by his father, according to Kerry’s brother, Kelvin Morgan, who gave evidence yesterday at an inquest held at Gwent Coroner’s Court.
The first day of the inquest also heard evidence from Kerry’s widow, Rebecca Morgan, who described him as a “gentle giant”, and from his father, Melvyn Morgan.
The court heard the inquest had been delayed because police were carrying out a murder investigation. Two men were arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder, but police said last year that no further action would be taken.
Kerry, a project manager, had been at the family wedding with his wife and two children. His widow told the inquest Kerry was a “very loving, funny, happy, awesome husband”.
Rebecca said Kerry had tried different antidepressants for “a few years” before settling on one about a year before his death. He had been aware of warnings over drinking alcohol while on the medication, she added.
“[When drinking] he became very anxious and it would be in situations where he felt hemmed in,” Rebecca said. “His go-to was to get out of there, which could be misread as aggression, but if you knew him, he just wanted to be taken away from the situation. He was non-violent.”
The court heard amphetamines were found in Kerry Morgan’s blood after his death. Asked if she had been aware of him taking these drugs, Mrs Morgan said: “In the past, before we were together, but not at that point.”
Mrs Morgan said she left the reception at about 7pm to take her son to a sleepover, and returned at about 8.20pm. She told the hearing that she then left with her daughter.
Kerry’s brother Kelvin also gave evidence and said a confrontation – captured on CCTV – was sparked by an “innocent joke” from their father, Melvyn. He said Melvyn had asked Kerry: “Do you want me to mind your mobile for you?”
He said this was a reference to an incident the previous Christmas when Kerry had gone out drinking and lost his mobile and bank card, which were later found in a taxi. Describing his brother, Kelvin said: “He was the nicest lad you could ever wish for before a drink, but when the alcohol started going down in his system, he became a different person.
“Depending on how much he had to drink, it got to a point where he liked to impose his size. He was very proud of his size, and liked to intimidate. He was 6ft 4in and 24st.”
When Mrs Morgan left, Kerry started “necking pints”, Kelvin said.
CCTV footage – which had no sound – showed a confrontation involving Kerry and his father. When Melvyn moved out of the way, Kelvin “intervened”, said the coroner.
Asked if he had intervened because he wanted to protect his father, Kelvin replied: “Totally.”
He said he was trying to calm Kerry down. The CCTV footage showed Melvyn pointing his finger at Kerry, and the hearing was told Melvyn made “inappropriate” comments.
Kerry, who had been sitting down, could be seen to get up, before falling onto the ground along with Kelvin.
Asked if he had consciously taken Kerry to the ground, Kelvin replied: “Yes, he’s 6ft 4in and 24st, and nobody’s stopping him in a total psychotic rage. If he got hold of my father, he’d have killed my father.
“I was trying to keep him down. I’m just trying to calm him down.
“He’s laughing, saying, ‘I’m going to kill him.’ At some point he grabs my father’s legs and pulls his feet from him. I’m not forcing my weight onto Kerry, I’m putting very little weight on him. I’m straddling him.
“It’s not my brother, and that’s why it’s so frightening. Him behaving and acting as he did was normal behaviour for him after drink and drugs.”
Kelvin said he allowed Kerry off the ground because the threat seemed to have “slightly lessened”. The CCTV showed Kerry standing up and hugging another family member. By this
point, Melvyn was no longer present.
Kelvin added: “He comes round the table to me, and he’s asking where our father is, saying, ‘I’m going to kill him.’ I told him he’d left.”
Along with two other men, Kelvin could be seen to hold Kerry down on the ground again. Kelvin added he did not exert pressure on his brother’s airways “at any point”.
Also giving evidence, Melvyn said he had witnessed “unpredictable” and “aggressive” behaviour from Kerry when he had been drinking in the past.
Melvyn described Kerry “shoving” him into the chair. He denied putting his arm around Kerry’s neck. He said he had placed his arm around Kerry’s shoulders.
The inquest continues.