Cliff fall man, 37, 'checked out'

Stephen Griffiths, 37, had hours before left his mother's house in South Coast Road to say he was 'checking out'.

His body was found the next morning on April 15 last year by a man out with his dog on the Undercliff Walk.

Dr Geraldine Martin, pathologist at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, said death was due to multiple injuries.

It was also revealed that Mr Griffiths was drunk when he fell.

His mother Carla said: 'Stephen did have a Swedish girlfriend and there was a split up which badly affected him.

'His grandmother died nine days before he died. He did not show it much that he was upset.

'He came over to my house on the Friday (April 13) and he seemed fine.

'Stephen left at around 11.30pm and I was under the impression that he was just going for a walk to clear his head. He did say he was not coming back and said he was checking out.

'I thought he meant just that night and he was going to his sister's.'

The hearing at Eastbourne was told that Mr Griffiths, who lived in Tooting, left various notes to members of his family.

Verdict: suicide.