A verdict of death by misadventure has been delivered by the coroner in Clint Townsend inquest. 

Assistant coroner Alison Thompson made the ruling at Oxfordshire Coroner's Court this morning.

Mr Townsend, 33, died in March last year after trying to break into John Gowing Jewellers in Oxford's Covered Market. 

He was one of two would-be robbers who had come into the Covered Market on a motorbike, the inquest heard over the two days. 

Mr Townsend of Barton Road, Oxford, attempted to break into the jewellers with a sledgehammer at around 9.15am on March 30, 2013, but was tackled to the ground by several members of the public. 

Listen: Clint Townsend's sister Hailey after the verdict

Mr Townsend's sister Hailey emotionally paid tribute to him after the verdict, saying he was a "cheeky chappy" and a "big softy" whose actions on the day were out of character.

She said: "No amount of words can ever describe our Clinty. He was a family-orientated man who loved life and everybody in it."

She added: "The family are still considering the coroner's verdict."

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