The family of a young man who died after falling from a window in Belgium have paid tribute to their ‘kind-hearted’ son.
Roudhan Beckwith, 20, from Yorkshire, was on holiday with friends in Brussels when he fell from the window of an apartment block on June 16, 2023.
The York University student’s parents Steven and Josephine Beckwith told the hearing at Bradford Coroners Court their son would be remembered for his influence as a role model and for being an endearing older brother.
They also spoke about their son’s love for cricket and football, and how he ‘always strived to live his best life’.
Roudhan had deep passions for travel and gastronomy, and his parents described him as a ‘perfectionist with a big heart’.
They said he was a relaxed yet meticulous man, according to Yorkshire Live.
Speaking about his life, Roudhan’s parents said he especially loved football and had got his first job aged 14 as a football referee.
Originally from Holmfirth in West Yorkshire, Roudhan had then gone on to work at Holmfirth Vineyard and impressed his colleagues with his work ethic.
He had developed strong friendships from the years he had spent playing for the Hepworth Juniors team.
A huge Liverpool FC fan, Steven and Josephine said their son would be ‘loved and forever missed’ as he had touched so many lives with his ‘kindness and work ethic’.
The inquest into Roudhan’s death last June found that he had been out for drinks with his friends in Brussels and had around six pints as well as some food through the course of the day.
He had returned to his apartment in the Anderlecht in the early hours where he was staying with his friends in a room on the third or fourth floor. It was said that Roudhan was possibly sick when he got home.
Nobody witnessed what happened next but it is thought Roudhan fell out of the Velux-style window in his room above the sofa bed where he was sleeping.
His friends were all asleep at the time so did not see what happened, but the window was found to be half open later on.
An inquest heard that it’s possible Roudhan got up to get some fresh air at the window and fell out, although senior coroner Martin Fleming said this was just ‘speculation’. There were no witnesses.
Roudhan was found on the ground below with multiple injuries.
When he was found, armed police stormed into the apartment where Roudhan’s friends were and made arrests at gunpoint as they investigated his death.
But police later concluded there were no suspicious circumstances.
Mr Fleming added in the inquest that it was clear Roudhan was a beloved son and brother and he had a ‘bright and promising future ahead of him’.
Steven said he had concerns about the safety of the window that his son fell out of.
He said: ‘When I read about it, it does worry me about small children, if a 20-year-old can fall out of it.’
Mr Fleming said Roudhan may have ‘reached up’ for fresh air, concluding: ‘It is more likely than not that he passed away accidentally.’
Steven and Josephine said Roudhan’s university results had come out just three hours after he had died.
Their son hadn’t got to see that he had passed his exams, but Steven said: ‘The University are graduating him this year. He will graduate with a BSc. We are going to the graduation and will be walking to it from Holmfirth.’
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