British music teacher accused of beating his French girlfriend to death before killing himself in horrific lorry crash after struggling in lockdown died of multiple injuries, inquest hears
- Caspar Veres, 28, involved in a deadly collision in the Algeciras region of Spain
- Reports at the time suggested he had been struggling with mental health issues
A British music teacher who reportedly ‘beat his girlfriend to death before killing himself’ died from multiple traumatic injuries caused by a car crash, an inquest heard today.
Caspar Veres, 28, was involved in a deadly collision in the Algeciras region of Spain on September 25, 2020, the hearing at County Hall in Maidstone was told.
The former public schoolboy had previously lived with his family in Stanmore, Greater London, but had been travelling from country to country for a number of years, coroner Sarah Clark said.
Ms Clark said the inquest had been pushed back due to delays in documents arriving from officials in Spain and that no one had been able to track down Mr Veres’ family.
Caspar Veres, 28, was involved in a deadly collision in the Algeciras region of Spain on September 25, 2020, the hearing at County Hall in Maidstone was told
She said: ‘The inquest was opened on October 27, 2020 but it was delayed due to waiting for documents to arrive from Spain.
‘We haven’t received all of them but we have enough to hold an inquest. We were delayed in obtaining the documents as Spain requires the family to consent to release them.
‘There are no family here today. We attempted to make contact with the family but we were unable to do so.’
The inquest heard the coroner had still not received all the documents from Spain but had enough to conclude an inquest.
Ms Clark said the medical cause of death listed on Mr Veres’ death certificate, which was issued in Spain, was ‘polytraumatism’ – which occurs when a person experiences injuries to multiple body parts and organ systems.
She said she did not have enough information to reach a short-form conclusion, so opted to reach a narrative conclusion instead.
Ms Clark said: ‘I have little information in relation to the circumstances leading to Caspar’s death.
‘The most I know is that it was a road traffic collision. So rather than reaching a conclusion of ‘accident’, I will reach a narrative conclusion.
‘He died as the result of a road traffic accident in Spain on September 25, 2020.’
Firefighters cut his body from the wreckage on the A-381 highway before discovering Ms Cochet’s body in the back of the vehicle
According to news reports at the time of the crash in September 2020, Mr Veres killed his French partner Delphine Cochet, 41, before smashing into a lorry and killing himself.
The expat, who was born on August 16, 1992, had posted a video on social media suggesting he had struggled through one of the strictest lockdowns on the continent.
In addition, he had a history of mental health issues which may have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 restrictions.
Firefighters cut his body from the wreckage on the A-381 highway before discovering Ms Cochet’s body in the back of the vehicle.
An autopsy found she had been beaten to death several hours prior to Mr Veres dying in the crash.
At the time, Mr Veres – a former Leeds University student – had been awaiting trial for assaulting two police officers around seven weeks earlier.
He ‘went berserk’ at a Civil Guard station in the fishing village of Barbate near Cadiz on August 6, 2020 after turning up in a distressed state.
Ms Cochet told police Mr Veres had stopped taking drugs which calmed his mental disorder, but he was not sectioned and returned to his home in Spain on bail.
The ‘free spirit’, who described himself as a drifter and a minstrel, had written ‘The Quarantine Song’ during lockdown.
In a video posted on social media, he sings: ‘From dawn to dusk you can hear the sirens scream… in quarantine.
‘Restlessness is brewing and I’m starting to feel mean… in quarantine.’
The former St Albans School pupil also created a ‘Coping Calendar’ which recommended 30 actions to ‘keep calm, stay wise and be kind’ during the pandemic.
A Spanish lorry driver, 43, also injured in the crash, was reportedly in a serious condition but expected to survive.
Police were reported as saying at the time were not looking for anyone else in connection with Delphine’s death.
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