Man who loved country walks died in cliff fall
A‘KIND, caring and loving’ 22-year-old student whose body was found on a North Devon beach a week after he was being reported missing fell to his death in an accident, an inquest has concluded.
Matthew Charlton, who lived with his parents in Combe Martin, had a passion for walking in the countryside.
After uncharacteristically failing to return home on March 29, a major search and rescue operation was launched.
Tragically it ended on April 5, when a family on holiday in Devon discovered Matthew’s body while walking along Peppercombe Beach, Bideford, in the afternoon. Mr Charlton’s wallet was found nearby.
A post-mortem examination confirmed the cause of his death was a fatal head injury caused by aa fall from height. It was added his death would have been ‘instantaneous’.
In a statement read out during the inquest at Exeter’s County Hall yesterday, Matthew’s mother Sharon told how her son had been born in London and his younger years at home and school had been happy, despite being diagnosed with significant learning difficulties, autism and hypermobility.
She said he enjoyed going to Cub Scouts and progressed through the stages onto Explorers and loved going on marches. The family moved to Devon in 2020, and he became a student at Petroc’s and was hoping to pursue a love and talent for horticulture and gardening.
Mrs Carlton added he also enjoyed walks around the countryside, mainly with family. Describing how he had been in the weeks leading up to his death, she said he appeared happy with ‘no visible signs of unhappiness or distress’.
She said: “At no time in his life did he talk about suicide or taking his own life. He was a loving young man with a very kind and caring heart. He looked at the positives in life.”
She added: “I am so proud to have been Matthew’s mum. He was the most amazing kind, gentle and caring person.
“I’m heartbroken he is gone and miss him every second of every day. I will never stop loving him.”
The police officer in charge of the investigation into Mr Charlton’s death, detective constable Samantha James, told the inquest how he had last been seen alive by his brother at lunchtime on the day he went missing.
Matthew’s brother described Matthew as having been “quite withdrawn.”
DC James told how after interviewing all those who knew Matthew, including at the college and the manager of Grassroots Cafe in Ilfracombe where he worked once a week, no concerns were raised about his mental health.
Police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances or thirdparty involvement in his death.
Recording a conclusion of accidental death, area coroner Alison Longhorn said: “Matthew suffered a significant head injury from a fall from a cliff above. His death was accidental. There is no evidence at all to me that Matthew might have taken his own life.
“It appears to me he was a happy, content young man and despite his brother saying he might have been a little quiet the morning he went missing, there is nothing obvious to indicate he was suffering from poor low mood or mental health.” She concluded: “On the balance of probabilities it is far more likely it was an accident while out walking, as he loved to do, and sadly he fell from the edge of a cliff.”
‘At no time in his life did he talk about suicide or taking his own life. He was a loving young man. I’m so proud to have been his Mum’ SHARON CHARLTON