A TEENAGER who had just watched his friend jump a gap between two three-storey buildings died after overbalancing and falling 40ft to the ground.

An inquest at Oxford Coroner's Court heard this week that on the evening of August 4 last year, 14-year-old Alex Leatherbarrow, of Black Croft, Wantage, had climbed up a fire exit ladder on to the roof of a building at King Alfred's Community & Sports College to watch his friend Ryan Dawson jump the 6ft gap to the next building.

Ryan told the court, which included Alex's parents Mark and Fiona, and brother Chris, that he and Alex had shared a joint of cannabis with a group of friends before the two climbed up.

He said: "We only had about two tokes each between the lot of us. We had used it before quite a few times. I know that would not have done anything to him.

"He just wanted to see me jump the gap. He hadn't said he was going to do it himself. He just said he wanted to see me do it."

Ryan jumped across something he said he had done on five occasions previously before looking back to where Alex was.

Ryan said: "He (Alex) was on two knees looking over the edge. He just looked down. He was holding on with his hands but he toppled forward."

The emergency services were called and David Edwards, an employee at nearby Wantage Leisure Centre, attended to Alex before paramedics arrived at the scene.

Alex was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, where he died the next day two days before what would have been his 15th birthday.

Consultant pathologist Dr Godman Greywoode told the inquest that Alex had internal fractures to his skull, damage to his spine and had suffered bleeding in his lungs and brain.

Asked why Alex might have fallen, Dr Greywoode said panic or vertigo was the most likely explanation but it was possible the cannabis Alex had smoked earlier might have contributed.

No trace of cannabis or alcohol were found in blood samples taken from Alex.

Det Sgt Chris Biddle, of Thames Valley Police, said they had not treated the death as suspicious and had no reason to doubt the explanation given by Ryan Dawson.

Det Sgt Biddle said: "It appears that, as Ryan said, he looked over the edge and lost his balance and fell."

Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Gardiner said: "There doesn't seem to be any real reason to think Alex had any intention of making the jump himself but he was looking over the edge leaning over on both knees.

"This really sounds to me like vertigo or call it what you will. He lost his balance and fell down."

He recorded a verdict of accidental death.