An inquest into the death of a man who fell from scaffolding in Douglas has returned an open verdict.

Spencer Galvin, aged 43, originally from Birkenhead, Merseyside, was found in a lane at the rear of Church Road Marina on April 8, 2019.

Coroner of Inquests Jayne Hughes reconvened Mr Galvin’s inquest on Wednesday and heard evidence from police officers, health professionals and his friend Kevin Barry.

Mrs Hughes read evidence from pathologist Dr Lymus who said that toxicology results showed Mr Galvin had no alcohol or drugs in his system at the time of his death.

Dr Lymus said that Mr Galvin’s injuries of a fractured skull, internal bleeding, cracked ribs and other cuts and bruises were ’typical of a fall from a great height’.

He added that Mr Galvin would have died very rapidly following the fall from scaffolding which was erected on the property next door to the Bellsfield Hotel where he was living.

The inquest heard from Mr Galvin’s friend Kevin Barry, who he had been living with in the weeks before his death. He said was aware that Mr Galvin was being bullied and picked on.

He said that Mr Galvin said the bullying was being done by people who lived nearby.

He was also aware that Mr Galvin ’heard voices’ and never told anyone who had been bullying him.

Mr Barry said that he knew that Mr Galvin ’needed help’ but that he had trying to get sober and when he saw him just hours before his death, when he returned to his own flat, he was ’in a good mood’.

Mrs Hughes also heard evidence from the Drug and Alcohol Team and mental health professionals including a written report from risk management coordinator Mark Butler who said Mr Galvin had been known to them since 2011.

Since then, he had been in and out of contact and had often failed to attend meetings but would often get back in touch with them.

He also confirmed that on April 7, the day before his death, Mr Galvin had attended a meeting with the Crisis Team where he admitted having suicidal thoughts but said he was ’too much of a coward’ to act on them.

An appointment was made for the next day for Mr Galvin to see a psychiatrist but he cancelled that saying he was feeling unwell.

On the day of his death, Mr Galvin returned to his home at about 4.30pm. He is seen on CCTV going out the back of the hotel at about 5.20pm before going back to his room by 5.30pm.

This was the last time Mr Galvin is seen before he was found in the lane at the rear of the hotel at 7.03pm by the building manager Mike Sandles.

Mr Sandles said he initially thought Mr Galvin was asleep but as he approached him, he realised he was bleeding from the head and wasn’t breathing.

Police woman Kirsty Finn was the first officer who attended the scene and began CPR until a paramedic confirmed Mr Galvin had died.

Officers arrested six people who were in the building on suspicion of the murder of Mr Galvin, however, foul play was quickly ruled out by the police.

When officers went to enter Mr Galvin’s flat, they had to drill the door as it had been locked from the inside.

The bathroom window, which allowed access to the scaffolding on the adjoining property, was wide open.

Mrs Hughes said that while Mr Galvin had made a decision to climb onto the scaffolding, she had no way of determining how he had come to be in the lane.

She said Mr Galvin was a ’vulnerable man’ who ’more likely than not was bullied’ and that he was suffering from poor mental health at the time of his death.

However, he had not talked specifically of ending his life and left no note. As exactly how Mr Galvin fell to his death cannot be clear, Mrs Hughes returned an open verdict.

Mrs Hughes said mental health services and his friends had done ’all they could to keep him safe’.