British tourist, 25, who fell from hotel balcony in Malta died from multiple injuries, coroner says
Software engineer Kieran Hughes, 25, was on holiday with friends when he fell from the balcony in the ten-storey hotel.
Tragedy struck at 4am local time at Cavalieri Art Hotel in St Julian's, on the east coast of the Mediterranean island, the hearing was told.
His father described him as 'a special son and twin brother' - saying the family was 'living in a nightmare'.
Opening the inquest, assistant coroner for North West Wales Sarah Riley said the case was likely 'to be an unnatural death'.
Kieran travelled from the village of Nant Gwynant, near Caernarfon, Gwynedd, to the island for the holiday with friends on July 11.
Mr Hughes worked as a software engineer at the M-Sparc Science Park in Gaerwen, Anglesey. He was a former pupil at Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen, Caernarfon, and studied engineering at Bangor University.
His family said they wanted him to be remembered as 'happy, loving and full of life'.
Ms Riley said the cause of death provided by the Maltese authorities to her was 'multiple blunt force injuries due to a fall from height'.
She added that it is 'more likely than not to be an unnatural death'.
Ms Riley said this cause is sufficient for her to hold an inquest which she opened and adjourned pending completion of further investigations.
Medics were called to the scene in the town's Triq Spinola area at around 4.15am. It is understood Mr Hughes was pronounced dead at the scene.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office has previously confirmed they were in contact with local authorities regarding the death. Police inquiries are reported to be ongoing.
Liz Saville Roberts, MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd described Mr Thomas' death, at the time, as 'heartbreaking news'. 'My heart goes out to the young man's family at this extremely difficult time,' she added.
Senedd member Sian Gwenllian said it was 'truly devastating'. 'The pain his family must be experiencing is unimaginable,' she said.
'My thoughts, and those of the people of Gwynedd, are with the family in their grief,' Ms Gwenllian added.
Welsh MP Sian Gwenllian, who represents Arfon, previously described Mr Thomas' death as 'truly devastating'.
She said: 'News of the death of a 25-year-old from Gwynedd in Malta is truly devastating.
'The pain his family must be experiencing is unimaginable.
'My thoughts, and those of the people of Gwynedd, are with them in their grief.'
The tourist was rushed to the Costa del Sol Hospital in May in a 'critical condition' after the incident at the Hard Rock Hotel in Puerto Banus near Marbella.
He was then transferred to the Regional University Hospital of Malaga after 5am on Sunday May 25, when the incident took place.
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