South London father died from fall after falling asleep on hotel balcony on last day of Ibiza holiday

A father from south London plunged to his death after falling asleep on a hotel balcony on the last night of a holiday with friends to Ibiza, an inquest heard.

Carl Shepherd Liverpool had been “drinking heavily” with friends and later dozed off on the third-floor balcony while they went out.

The electrician, from Mitcham, fell from the balcony just before 5.30am on August 17, 2017, and suffered a fractured skull and traumatic brain injuries.

Mr Shepherd Liverpool had alcohol, cocaine and ecstasy in his system, Southwark coroner’s court heard.

The 28-year-old, known to friends as Dan, was staying at the Jet Apartments in the Playa d’en Bossa resort and had been due to fly home the day before his death but the group decided to extend their stay by an extra day.

The friends headed to a nightclub without Mr Shepherd Liverpool because he “was too exhausted”, said Mike Higgans.

“We left the club at around 5.30am, when we got back there were emergency services outside the apartment,” he said.

“Our neighbours had seen him sleeping on the edge and he looked ‘stable’. I can only imagine that he rolled off in his sleep, there were no barriers at the end of the balcony.”

Ricardo Desenzo said he spoke to Mr Shepherd Liverpool at about 4am as he sat on a ledge between two balconies, telling the inquest his friend “seemed happy” and had shown no signs of contemplating suicide.

Assistant coroner Shanta Deonarine recorded Mr Shepherd Liverpool’s death as accidental.

The Foreign Office has issued warnings to British holidaymakers heading to Spain of injuries and death resulting from balcony falls.