'Jack's death was so cruel' says mum of 20-year-old student who died after a drinking session with friends

Jack Swale, 20, was found unresponsive on the back doorstep of the family farmhouse after apparently tripping up when he went outside for some fresh air late at night.

An inquest in Preston heard how he and three friends had been drinking in the kitchen, but Jack was not found until early the next morning, freezing cold and without a pulse.

Paramedics and an emergency team at the Royal Preston Hospital battled for almost three hours to revive him, but were unable to bring him round.

“It was cruel, so cruel,” said mum Claire Swale at the farm in Pinfold Lane, Sowerby near St Michael’s. “He came through all the setbacks and had to learn to do everything again from scratch. He was so brave.

“Then for this to happen is just horrible. It’s been heartbreaking.”

Coroner Richard Taylor recorded a conclusion of misadventure after hearing Jack had probably been on the floor outside on a cold March night for several hours. His three friends had all gone to bed, leaving him in the kitchen. They had all had a lot to drink.

“Jack couldn’t handle alcohol,” revealed mum Claire, who was working away in Carlisle at the time of the accident, but managed to get back to be with him in hospital.

“He didn’t drink that often and, when he did, he couldn’t take a lot before it affected him.

“After his tumour it took him a long time to get mobile again. He was always unsteady on his feet - a bit wobbly. He fell over lots and was used to doing it. But he just wanted to be normal.

“The cruellest thing is he had worked so hard to get back walking. He wouldn’t let it beat him. After all he had been through he was determined to have a normal life.

“So for it to end like this is such a tragedy. His passing has affected an awful lot of people.”

The inquest heard that the four pals had enjoyed a Friday night in, drinking beer and spirits and having fun.

Jack’s dad David, a dairy farmer, was at home and had gone to bed early, texting his son to “keep the noise down.”

He found him around 6.45am, unresponsive and lying half in and half out of the patio doors. Paramedics were called and the inquest heard Jack’s temperature was “unrecordable.” Later in hospital it was measured at only 22.9 degrees.

Emergency staff at the Royal Preston Hospital were unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead at 9.30am with his parents at his bedside.

Consultant Dr Ayman Jundi said that despite advanced life support treatment there was nothing the team could do to reverse the severe hypothermia. The cause of death was natural causes, with alcohol intoxication a major factor.

One of the friends, Nathan Millar, said in a statement to the inquest that Jack had been “putting them (drinks) away rather quickly.” He urged him to slow down. Another, Nathan Smith, said Jack had “looked quite drunk.”

And Steven Doyle added: “We drank quite a lot of alcohol between us in a short time. Jack drank a lot of alcohol, but I can’t remember exactly what or how much because I was also very drunk.”

Mum Claire said Jack had been diagnosed with a brain tumour aged just two-and-a-half and had undergone four years of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He had remained tumour-free since 2006.

“Jack had to learn to do everything again from scratch,” she said. “Initially he was unable to support himself sat up, so it was a long haul to get mobile again.

“Initially he had standing frames and was reliant on pushchairs or wheelchairs, but he was determined to walk again. And, although very wobbly and prone to falling, he progressed from wheelchair to walking frame to being fully mobile without any aids, albeit with a wobble.

“He just wanted to be normal, that was his primary wish, to be accepted for who he was rather than people seeing his disability.

“Because of Jack’s balance and co-ordination difficulties, I always tried to reiterate the effects of drinking more than what he was capable of for the sake of his own personal welfare and safety.

“He didn’t drink that often, but when he did he would become more unaware of his surroundings and more unstable from the effects of alcohol, so I was considerably more protective of him as a mother.

“I'm told he was so excited about having a few friends over - he just had a wish to be normal and do normal things. That night, between them, they consumed probably more than they should have done in a relatively short space of time. In fact they all seemed to be enjoying themselves and in great spirits.

“Jack was just so popular and well-known. After he died his friends did a Facebook thing by changing all their profiles to Star Wars characters. Over 3,000 took part in it. It was amazing and really comforting for us.

“The cruellest thing for me is that he went through so much to get where he was. He did so well and after all that for something like this to happen is heartbreaking.

“Nothing we can do can ever bring him back. His death has been unimaginable to deal with and has left a huge void in our lives.”