Walker fell 300ft to his death from coastal path

A DEVOTED husband and grandfather who hoped to set up a school of ancient cures with his new pagan bride fell 300ft to his death in West Wales, an inquest has heard.

Dennis Lelliott was spotted at the foot of a cliff at New Quay by a walker on October 11 last year. His rucksack was at the top of the cliff path, which had given way.

The inquest heard that Mr Lelliott, aged 58, was an experienced walker with vast knowledge of the Ceredigion coastal footpath. He had a caravan at New Quay.

Ceredigion coroner Peter Brunton, who inspected the section of footpath where Mr Lelliott fell, said: "The probable explanation is that Mr Lelliott put his stick into the soil and it gave way. It is very narrow and it caused me discomfort to be close to the edge."

A walker on the path that day, Christopher Harries, said he and his family chatted to Mr Lelliott, who lived in Townhill.

Mr Harries was of the view he was well equipped and very experienced.

On the way back from their walk some two hours later, Mr Harries spotted a rucksack, and saw a body at the foot of the cliff.

A police inspector told the inquest she noticed a hole six inches or so from the edge that would have been made by Mr Lelliott's walking stick.

The path was very narrow at that point and the cliffs very steep.

She said Mr Lelliott's wife, Pauline, told officers there was no reason for her husband to take his life, and added that food and drink for a day's walking was found in the rucksack.

The cause of death was given as multiple injuries, and Mr Brunton recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Mrs Lelliott, aged 55, said yesterday that the family just wanted to get on with their lives.

Shortly after her husband's death last October, she described how she had lost her soul mate.

The couple had met at Cefn Coed Hospital in Swansea, where he worked as assistant head of IT telecommunication, and she was admin assistant in the training department. In June last year they married at Swansea Civic Centre before being blessed on summer solstice at the Afan Valley. She was dressed as a fairy, he was a wizard.

The couple, and Pauline's daughter Sam, were working on setting up an ancient cures business.

Mr Lelliott was a father of five, and grandfather-of-nine. His first wife, Val, died six months before he met Pauline.

"He loved life, he loved his family and he loved helping people," said Mrs Lelliott. "He was the life and soul."