THE LAST moments of a man who died under a train at Gants Hill Underground Station were recounted at his inquest this morning.
Father-of-three Nkem Ike, 48, of Burford Close in Barkingside, died after being hit by a westbound Central Line train on February 28 this year.
Walthamstow Coroners Court heard that Mr Ike moved to the UK in 2003 with his wife Happiness and his young children, but that he continued to travel between the two countries for his export business.
A few weeks before his death he had been tricked out of around £4,000 over a business deal and, while this did not threaten his family's financial security, it had caused him considerable stress, his widow said.
The day before he died, Mr Ike has been admitted to King George's Hospital in Goodmayes after overdosing on an over-the-counter sleeping remedy.
He was referred to a psychiatrist at the hospital for an assessment, which found nothing to suggest the overdose was deliberate or that he was planning to take his own life.
On the morning of his death, Mrs Ike had got up early for work and left her husband in bed, satisfied there was no reason why he should not have been left alone.
She called the house once she arrived at work but got no answer. She then received a phone call from her daughter to tell her that Mr Ike was missing and had taken his mobile phone.
A witness report read out in court suggested that as he stood in front of the train, Mr Ike held out his arms “as if he was going to hug the train”.
The train driver, Brian Clarke, who had to take five months off work after the collision, told the inquest that Mr Ike appeared “as if he was playing chicken with the train,” as it approached.
Mrs Ike was led crying from the court as closed-circuit footage taken at Gants Hill station was played. Images showed Mr Ike walking to the edge of the westbound platform shortly before 7am.
As the train emerged from the tunnel at approximately 35-40 miles an hour, he was seen to remove his overcoat and jump down onto the tracks.
A pathologist at King George’s Hospital found that the cause of death of death had been multiple severe injuries, some of which were to Mr Ike's head and chest.
Subsequent toxicology tests found no traces of alcohol or illegal drugs.
The jury found that he had killed himself while the balance of his mind was disturbed.
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