Thatcham angler Peter Brooks drowned at Jubilee Lake, inquest hears

A YOUNG angler drowned on a night fishing expedition, an inquest heard.

Peter John Brooks, a night stocker at Sainsbury’s in Thatcham, drowned in Jubilee Lake, part of the town’s Lower Way lakes complex.

The hearing, held in Reading Town Hall on Monday, October 7, was told the tragedy happened when the popular 24-year-old, of The Haywards, Thatcham, was doing something he loved, among devoted friends.

In an emotional tribute, his father Russell told the coroner: “PJ, as we used to call him, was a passionate Liverpool FC supporter.

“But the thing he enjoyed most, like his Granddad and uncle, was fishing.

“He was knowledgeable about so many things and would always try to help where he could; my friends thought the world of him.

“He was such a good chap and we did so much together - it puts a giant hole in our hearts to lose him.”

His sister Sophie told the inquest: “For all his problems, for all the usual issues we had as siblings, for all his disabilities - the man he became was amazing.”

Despite being on the autistic spectrum, the inquest heard, Mr Brooks, a former pupil at Kennet School in Thatcham and at Newbury College, enjoyed interacting with customers at work and was sociable and popular.

The hearing was told that Mr Brooks had gone on a weekend night fishing trip last December with friends Jack Barry and Lewis Drury.

On December 30, the inquest heard, he had proudly texted an image of a fish he caught and, at 2.16am, had texted his father to say all was well.

But when, by mid morning, he had apparently not woken, his friends investigated and, finding his tent empty, raised the alarm.

A search was organised and a police helicopter eventually spotted his body under water.

The inquest had been told that Mr Brooks suffered from epilepsy and related ‘absences’ or petit mal episodes - a type of seizure that cause a brief loss of awareness.

Although otherwise fully clothed, he had not put on his glasses or shoes despite the muddy conditions, and his tent had been pitched right beside the bank.

In addition, toxicology tests showed he had apparently not been taking a full dose of medicine prescribed to prevent epileptic episodes.

The cause of death was drowning.

Assistant Berkshire coroner Robert Simpson said: “Despite low expectations at school, Peter proved them wrong.

“He had many friends and was spending time on one of his main passions in life, fishing - and, of course, reflecting his other main passion by wearing a Liverpool FC shirt.

“There’s no evidence of a current intent to harm himself and no evidence to support any suggestion he entered the water deliberately with the intent of taking his own life.”

Mr Simpson cited past evidence of epileptic seizures, absences and sleep walking and noted that the levels of anti-seizure medication in Mr Brooks’ system at the time were sub therapeutic - that is, “not enough to control seizures.”

He pointed out that Mr Brooks had left his shoes and glasses behind and said: “He was not acting in a normal manner; I find it is more likely than not that he was confused and disorientated due to a seizure or absence and left his tent because of that before tragically falling into the lake.

“I can’t say whether he was aware of what happened but he was likely confused and disorientated when he went into the water.”

Mr Simpson recorded a conclusion of accidental death.