British holidaymaker died in his boxer shorts after 80ft Malta hotel balcony fall in middle of night, inquest hears

A British holidaymaker died wearing just boxer shorts in an 80ft hotel balcony fall after leaving his room in the middle of the night, an inquest heard.

Software engineer Kieran Hughes, 25, wandered out of his 6th floor room at 4.15am on the sunshine holiday in Malta before accidentally tumbling to his death.

He had downed beer, cocktails and limoncello with a friend before returning to the Cavalieri Art Hotel in the St Julian's area of the Mediterranean island at 3.30am.

But 48 minutes later he was captured on CCTV falling from the balcony onto the road outside the hotel in July last year.

A passerby alerted a hotel worker who found Kieran, of Caernarfon, North Wales, wearing only boxer shorts on the ground.

The hotel worker told police: 'A person screamed 'Something happened. Somebody fell from the balcony'.'

Officers entered Room 603 and found roommate Osian Jones asleep and unable to be roused because he was drunk.

Osian later told police the pair had gone for dinner and drinks before heading to a casino and nightclub.

The inquest was Kieran sustained multiple injuries following blunt force trauma caused by a fall from height.

But doctors said Kieran did not break his arms which could have indicated he was trying to break his fall - and may have been 'not aware' he was falling.

The inquest found evidence of 'severe alcohol intoxication' and CCTV showed Kieran and Osian 'holding on to each other, suggesting they were intoxicated' as they walked home.

The Caernarfon hearing was told there was 'no animosity' between the two friends and no third party involvement in his death.

Coroner Elizabeth Dudley-Jones found the cause of death was blunt force injuries as a consequence of a fall.

She said: 'The boys went out for dinner, visited a casino, drank amounts of alcohol and came back to the hotel. It's difficult to say what in fact happened because there's a period when Kieran's friend was fast asleep.

'It seems after returning to his room, in a state of severe intoxication, for some reason went out onto the balcony, possibly because he felt unwell or in need of fresh air, and has tragically fallen off the balcony leading to the loss of his life.'

She concluded the death was an accident.