A PhD student from the UK fell to his death from a three-metre fence at Zehnder Road in Pasir Panjang while on a research visit with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore.
According to a report from Durham Coroner’s Court in northeast England, the deceased was 24-year-old John William Richmond, and the cause of death was blunt head trauma. The forensic doctor ruled that this was an accidental death under the influence of alcohol. The autopsy report did not reveal whether the deceased was alone at the time of the incident.
The incident occurred on April 13, 2023, at a fence erected on a raised concrete platform surrounding the Buona Vista Gardens apartments.
The report showed that the deceased was with friends on April 12 and drank heavily. The CCTV footage of the next day (13th) showed that he tried to climb over the fence in the early hours of the morning. The fence collapsed during the second climb and he fell into the concrete drain and then there was no movement. The next day, workers found him and medical staff arrived and confirmed that he had no signs of life.
When asked by Lianhe Zaobao, the Singapore Civil Defence Force also confirmed that at around 11:40 am on April 13, 2023, it received a call for help from a residential area near Block 13A, Jeanne Road. The man was pronounced dead after the Civil Defence Force medical staff arrived at the scene.
According to The Straits Times, a spokesperson for the Agency for Science, Technology and Research revealed that Richmond joined the agency’s Bioinformatics Institute in October 2022 to participate in biomedical science research.
“A*STAR deeply regrets Richmond’s passing. We immediately contacted his family and helped coordinate the handling and shipment of Richmond’s personal belongings, as well as providing assistance to his colleagues and roommates in Singapore.”
