Jockey Michael Pitt took his own life after telling girlfriend ‘he loved her’
A promising young jockey took his own life after telling his girlfriend he loved her, an inquest heard.
Michael Pitt, 19, was found dead at a petrol station in Hungerford, Berkshire, in July.
An inquest at Reading Town Hall yesterday heard how the teenager, an amateur rider at Warren Greatrex’s yard in Lambourn, had been drinking heavily before his death.
On the evening of July 4, Mr Pitt consumed alcohol with friends in Hungerford and got into an argument. He left alone at around 11pm after refusing a lift home.
CCTV footage showed him walking towards a petrol station in Charnham Street.
A shop worker discovered his body just before 7am the following morning.
The inquest was told how Pitt had sent his girlfriend Ellie a video saying he had never stopped loving her.
His devastated mother Amanda described her son a 'loveable rogue' who was worried about the future of the relationship.
"His feelings for Ellie were very different," she said.
"He had messed around, I think he was terrified of her finding out.
"Maybe it all came to a head that night… Watching the Snapchat video, I think that was his concern."
The son of racing trainer Tim Pitt had acquired an amateur jump jockey's licence to compete before his death.
The inquest heard how although he had been drinking more in the weeks beforehand and he had been trying to quit on weekdays to help with his riding.
Recording a verdict of suicide, Berkshire assistant coroner Jenny Goldring said Mr Pitt had no history of mental health issues and described the incident as "out of character".
“This is the tragic death of a beautiful young man who was 19 and much loved by his friends and family and who, by all accounts, lived life to the full," she said.
“He was popular, sociable and had a promising career ahead of him as a jockey.
“He had drunk an awful lot of alcohol and I think in that state, on the balance of probabilities, he intended to take his own life which he wouldn’t have done if he was sober because that’s not the kind of person he was.”
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