THE BODY of a man found dead in woodland was so decomposed that it was impossible to say exactly how he died, an inquest heard yesterday.

Adam Stanmore was found dead in an area behind Grenoble Road in Blackbird Leys on June 13, 2019 – four weeks after he went missing.

Yesterday, 10 jurors at Oxford Coroner’s Court, who will give a verdict on how he died, heard evidence from the forensic pathologist who examined Mr Stanmore’s body.

He said the ‘plausible’ cause of death was ‘probably hanging’ but it is not possible to exclude any other theories completely because of the condition he was found in.

It was also unknown exactly when he died – but it was more likely to be closer to the time he went missing in May than when his body was found.

Jurors have previously heard how, on April 29, 2019, Mr Stanmore had phoned his GP asking for an emergency appointment after hearing voices saying that his mum and brother would be killed if he did not kill himself.

The doctor said he was having a drug-induced psychotic episode and referred him to a mental health team for an appointment that day.

He didn’t have a follow-up appointment and on May 17 stayed at his mum’s house – who in statement said that he had been pacing up and down the living room, taking clocks off the walls and covering lampshades.

He left her a note the next day spelling his name wrong.

In the events that followed, the assistant coroner for Oxfordshire Sonia Hayes said he had banged on a neighbour’s door asking for a knife – who handed one over before calling the police.

Officers arrived and found Mr Stanmore sitting on a wall of a residential street – they then used a Taser to arrest him and drove him to the station.

But in custody, a sergeant decided that he needed to be seen at hospital.

Paramedics arrived to take him to A&E but he discharged himself from their care on May 18. Later that day he saw police officers again – they were the last people to ever see him alive.

On June 13, the 37-year-old was found dead in woodland behind a street.

In more evidence yesterday, jurors were told by an expert how a Taser is used and when a trained officer might use it.

Jurors at Oxford Coroner’s Court must now listen to all the evidence and witnesses, which include police officers from the scene, his doctors and family, over the next few weeks and agree a conclusion on how he came to his death.

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