A university student who fell 100ft to his death from a gallery at St Paul’s Cathedral has been remembered as “beautiful and talented.”
Jorge De Sousa Stayton, 19, died from multiple injuries after plummeting from the Whispering Gallery, a 259-step climb from ground level, an inquest heard on Monday.
Stayton - known as JJ to his friends and family, was studying at Queen Mary University of London, when he died on 1 April 2019.
His mother and sister wept as Senior Coroner Alison Hewitt opened the inquest at City of London Coroner’s Court.
She said: “There has been a post-mortem examination and the doctor has proposed the medical cause of death was multiple injuries, including a severe head injury.”
His death is being treated as non-suspicious and the inquest will be continued when further evidence has been gathered, she said.
Stayton’s family, in a tribute issued through City of London Police, said: “We are all in deep shock at the loss of our beautiful, talented and intelligent son.
“He had a deep passion for history and revelled in sharing his knowledge with others.
“He truly was a young gentleman, always willing to help others where he could.
“With his wicked sense of humour and mischievous smile he could bring irrepressible joy to anyone in his company.
“Words cannot adequately express the devastation we feel, nor the love we have for him. The world is inarguably a lesser place without JJ.”
Stayton’s death comes 18 months after figure skater Lidia Dragescu, 23, died after falling from the same gallery.
The Whispering Gallery is so-called due to a quirk in its construction, which makes a whisper against its walls audible on the opposite side.
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