An inquest has heard how a pregnant mum fell to her death from a third floor balcony in Westminster moments after telling a friend that her partner was “on his drunk aggressive thing again”.
Georgina Drinkwater plummeted to the pavement nearly 33ft below when she fell from her home in Queen's Park on February 23 2014.
Her boyfriend, 26-year-old Robert Weldon was arrested at the scene outside Orpheus House, Harrow Road, but has not been charged in connection with Ms Drinkwater’s death. He said in a police interview that she had slipped as she tried to climb down to a second floor balcony.
But at the two-day inquest taking place at Westminster Coroner’s Court which opened on April 5, it was heard Ms Drinkwater’s friends claim Mr Weldon had become violent towards the 30-year-old mum of two.
The court was told Ms Drinkwater was five months pregnant with her third child when she died. She was a full time mum to her two daughters, aged eight and 11 months, when she died.
She had left her children with a friend before heading to a party at the nearby Mason’s Arms pub hours before the tragedy.
'Turbulent relationship'
The death was investigated by the Homicide and Serious Crime Command and headed by DCI Andrew Chalmers.
He told the inquest that Ms Drinkwater had sent to text to friend Claire Wilson at 2.49am, just three minutes before she fell, saying: “Claire, call as soon as possible. He’s on his drunk aggressive thing.”
He described the relationship between Ms Drinkwater and Mr Weldon as “turbulent” and said CCTV footage recovered from the area piece together the mother’s final few minutes.
They left the Mason’s Arms at 1.53am, then made their way to The Booze Spot on Harrow Road at 2.02am where Ms Drinkwater bought crisps and Mr Weldon purchased two bottles of beer.
“He appears to be drunk and it appears that Georgina Drinkwater is nudging Mr Weldon away because he is resting his hand on her, she appears to be frustrated with Mr Weldon’s behaviour” said DCI Chalmers.
They then enter the flats at Orpheus House at 2.18am but the court heard that the quality of footage of the third floor is hampered by the street lights.
But there was a suggestion that the footage showed some movement in the area of the balcony before the fall which DCI Chalmers said would be impossible to say “whether it is part of the falling process or whether it is something more prolonged”.
He said the couple had arguments which centred around Mr Weldon’s employment status, his drinking and his ex-partners. It led to police being called out on several occasions.
40-minute argument
Referring to Mr Weldon’s police interview, DCI Chalmers said: “Ms Drinkwater had tried to leave the flat and he prevented her from doing so by standing in front of the door.”
Mr Weldon said in his interview the mother-of-two walked out onto the balcony after an argument raged for up to 40 minutes and said: “Don’t tempt me.”
Mr Weldon told police: “I walked over and told her ‘what the f*** are you doing?”
He said he then asked Ms Drinkwater: “Are you crazy?”
Mr Weldon added: “She went to climb down to the second floor and that is when she lost her grip.”
In addition to the desperate text message sent to Ms Wilson, Ms Drinkwater made seven further calls in the 10 minutes to friends before her fall, the court heard.
Lee Byers claimed in a statement that Ms Drinkwater had “told him that Mr Weldon was violent towards her” while Amy Ahmad she had “never seen her go onto the balcony except to throw Mr Weldon’s stuff over the side".
The Crown Prosecution Service reviewed the evidence but decided there was ‘insufficient evidence’ to charge Mr Weldon in connection with his partner’s death.
The inquest continues.
