Michael Pitt: Berkshire jockey who took own life 'had promising future'

A man who took his own life "had a promising career ahead of him as a jockey", an inquest has heard.

Michael Pitt, 19, was found dead at a petrol station in Charnham Street, Hungerford, Berkshire, in July.

The inquest at Reading Town Hall heard he had been on a night out with friends and drinking heavily before his death.

Assistant coroner for Berkshire Jenny Goldring concluded the death was suicide, and that he had been under the influence of alcohol.

In the months before his death, Mr Pitt, who worked as a stable hand for Warren Greatrex Racing in Upper Lambourn, had started drinking alcohol heavily.

On 4 July, Mr Pitt had been drinking at a pub in Hungerford and had got into an argument, before refusing a lift home.

CCTV later captured him walking towards the petrol station at about midnight. A shop worker discovered his body at about 06:50 BST on 5 July.

A pathologist concluded the cause of death was hanging. He was also found to have a "high level" of alcohol in his blood, the inquest was told.

In a statement read out in court, his girlfriend said he had told her he was "using drink to help him sleep because he was having a tough time".

His mother Amanda Pitt told the court he "seemed well", and despite struggling during lockdown to maintain his weight to carry on riding on the flat, her son had recently obtained an amateur jump licence.

She said she did not believe her son's death was deliberate.

Coroner Ms Goldring said Mr Pitt had no history of mental health issues and described the incident as "out of character".

She added: "He was a young man, by all accounts, who lived life to the full... and had a promising career ahead of him as a jockey."

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