A CORONER has been unable to discover what led to a man falling to his death from the Westgate car park in Oxford.

Joshua Nunan’s body was found on Boxing Day, 2009. Oxfordshire Coroner Nicholas Gardiner yesterday said it appeared the 22-year-old, of High Street, Wheatley, had “descended from the car park” but he could not confirm suicide or rule out foul play.

Martin Nunan told the hearing his son, who had a history of mental health problems, had called him on Christmas Eve claiming his life was in danger at the hands of a gang.

Mr Nunan – who had Asperger’s syndrome and used drugs including heroin – had been seen by paramedics and a doctor at the John Radcliffe Hospital less than an hour before his death, claiming he had been assaulted.

Ambulance worker Richard Curtis said he could not see any signs of injury but took Mr Nunan to hospital as a precaution. He described him as showing signs of paranoia in his handover notes at the hospital.

Prof Christopher Bulstrode said he did not receive those notes when he saw Mr Nunan at the hospital. Asked by Mr Nunan’s mother, Dee, if he should have spotted her son’s paranoia, he said: “In retrospect, absolutely. Maybe I could have spotted that.”

An open verdict was recorded.