Tragic final moments revealed after mum-of-four fell to her death with instructor in tandem skydive
Belinda Taylor was taking part in the tandem jump with Adam Harrison when the horror took place.
3
3
The 48-year-old's partner, who watched the tragedy unfold, had bought the skydive as a gift for "adrenaline junkie" Belinda.
An inquest opening heard today how both Belinda and Adam, 30, suffered multiple injuries.
Their bodies were discovered in a field near the Dunkeswell airfield in Devon on June 13.
Senior Devon coroner Philip Spinney said the pair had exited the aircraft for the 1,500ft freefall jump strapped together.
He added: "The parachute did not open as expected and they died as a consequence of the injuries sustained in the fall."
The coroner adjourned the inquest until a later date while inquiries continue.
It was previously revealed that other skydivers had seen Belinda "full of smiles and jokes" before the tragedy.
Her son Elias, 20, said his mum had mentioned the jump was taking place on Friday the 13th in a "jokey way".
While partner Scott Armstrong revealed she had been "absolutely buzzing" about the jump.
Paying tribute, he added: "She was a lovely person, she was my best friend. She was an absolute nutcase who just loved adventures."
Belinda, from nearby Totnes, had three adult sons and a teenage daughter and was also a grandmother of two.
A probe by police, British Skydiving and East Devon District Council Environmental Health and Safety Office is ongoing.
The Civil Aviation Authority said it was aware of the incident but could not comment any further due to it being an active investigation.
3
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
18 minutes ago
- BBC News
Cannabis grow worth £500k seized after raid in Scunthorpe
Hundreds of cannabis plants worth more than half a million pounds have been seized after a raid on a Scunthorpe searched the address on Quebec Road, Bottesford, and found 1,045 cannabis plants with an estimated value of £500,000 spread across four rooms.A spokesperson for Humberside Police said they were following a number of inquiries to identify those involved. The force urged anyone with information to get in touch. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices
The Guardian
20 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Sally Rooney could be arrested under Terrorism Act after pledging royalties to Palestine Action
Irish novelist Sally Rooney could be arrested under the Terrorism Act after saying she intends to use proceeds from her work to support Palestine Action, which was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK last month, a legal expert has warned. Earlier, No 10 said that supporting the group was an offence under the act, after Rooney had made her pledge. Royalties from Rooney's books, including Normal People and Conversations with Friends, and BBC adaptations of them would be used to support Palestine Action, she wrote in the Irish Times over the weekend. The legal expert also said that the bestselling writer could face prosecution if she were to express her views at, for example, a UK book festival, underscoring the proscription's 'gross disproportionality'. While the prime minister's spokesperson would not respond to the author's comments specifically, they said that there was 'a difference between showing support for a proscribed organisation, which is an offence under the Terrorism Act, and legitimate protest in support of a cause', according to the Press Association. Asked what message No 10 would give to people considering donating money to Palestine Action, the spokesperson said: 'Support for a proscribed organisation is an offence under the Terrorism Act and obviously the police will, as they have set out, implement the law as you'd expect.' More than 700 people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act in relation to the group since it was proscribed in early July, many of whom were detained at a peaceful protest on 9 August in Parliament Square, London. 'My books, at least for now, are still published in Britain, and are widely available in bookshops and even supermarkets,' wrote Rooney on Saturday. 'In recent years the UK's state broadcaster has also televised two fine adaptations of my novels, and therefore regularly pays me residual fees. I want to be clear that I intend to use these proceeds of my work, as well as my public platform generally, to go on supporting Palestine Action and direct action against genocide in whatever way I can.' Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation after activists broke into an RAF base in Oxfordshire and spray painted two planes. They 'knew, of course, that their actions were illegal,' Rooney wrote in the Guardian in June. 'From the suffragettes to the gay rights movement to the anti-apartheid struggle, genuine political resistance has always involved intentional law-breaking.' In her Irish Times article last weekend, Rooney said that she 'would happily publish this statement in a UK newspaper – but that would now be illegal'. Rooney's books also include Beautiful World, Where Are You and, most recently, Intermezzo. Lawyer and writer Sadakat Kadri said: 'Receiving money with the intention of using it to support terrorism is an offence under section 15 of the 2000 act.. That means Rooney could be arrested without a warrant as a 'terrorist'.' He added that 'the absurdities don't end there', and said the decision of the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, to bracket Palestine Action with groups such as Islamic State meant the BBC would also be criminally liable if it continued to pay royalties to Rooney. in view of her stated intentions. 'Authoritarian governments routinely threaten writers and intimidate broadcasters, but I find it quite extraordinary that Labour under Keir Starmer has now chosen to go down the same path.' Asked whether Rooney could face legal repercussions if she, for example, spoke at a book festival in the UK, Kadri said that 'there's certainly a risk she'd fall foul' of the law. If Rooney expressed 'her views in terms of condemning the war crimes being committed in Gaza, an arguable case for prosecution could be made out'. 'Saying that isn't for one moment an attempt to justify the statute,' said Kadri, which he described as 'a shameful attack' on free speech. 'It's just a particularly stark illustration of the measure's gross disproportionality.' Mike Schwarz, head of the public inquiry team at the legal firm Hodge Jones & Allen, said that 'anyone providing money which might, in the state's eyes, fund 'terrorism' and, separately, anyone supporting an organisation proscribed under terrorism legislation runs a very real risk of serious police interest and prosecution for grave offences in the UK. This seems particularly the case in the current febrile political climate surrounding Palestine Action.'
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Man found guilty of attempted murder seen pulling up outside restaurant
Javon Riley has been found guilty of the attempted murder of a nine-year-old girl in Dalston. CCTV footage shows Riley driving a Nissan Juke towards Evin restaurant on Kingsland High Street, repeatedly checking for rival gang members before the shooting. A gunman on a motorbike then opened fire six times, with one bullet striking the girl in the brain. Riley was instrumental in helping the shooter evade capture and dispose of the firearm; he is due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on 12 September. Watch the video in full above.
