A TEACHER died after he fell more than three metres from an unlit road on a school trip, an inquest heard.
Jonathan Taylor, 44, was an IT teacher at Christ the King School, Arnold, and fell down a bank while on a visit to Matrei, in the Austrian Tyrol, in March.
The inquest heard he had been drinking with other teachers when he slipped and fell while walking back to his hotel. Father-to-be Mr Taylor lost consciousness within minutes and died as a result of injuries suffered in the impact of the fall in the early hours of March 31.
The inquest heard that Mr Taylor, who lived with his wife in Arnold, had drunk a "moderate" amount of alcohol during the evening of March 30, after the pupils had gone to bed, and was nearly twice the drink drive limit at the time of his death.
Postmortem tests showed he suffered severe injuries as a result of the impact of the fall and that he had 173mg per deciliter of alcohol in his blood at the time of his death, the inquest heard.
However, Notts Coroner Mairin Casey said there was no evidence to suggest that he or any of the other teachers had drunk to excess.
James Cullen, a business teacher at the school who was also on the trip, told the inquest: "It was a sensible holiday atmosphere. We were professional and knew we had our duties the following day."
Miss Casey said the dangers posed by the dark and dangerous, unmarked and unlit road had been the dominant factor in the accident.
She added: "This particular section of road was extremely dangerous. It was a poorly-lit track. It did not have suitable provision for pedestrians; the edge of the track was crumbling away.
"If the accident had happened in this country, the police would have been referring the section to the Highways Agency."
She recorded a verdict of accidental death.
David Wilson, chairman of governors, said: "The governors of Christ the King School would like to thank students, parents, staff and the wider community for their support and prayers following the tragic and untimely death of Jonathan Taylor on the school skiing trip to Austria at Easter.
"During this term, the school has investigated the circumstances surrounding the incident to ensure its policies and supervision expectations were adhered to.
"The school can confirm that no students were involved in the incident and that they were safe, in the hotel, under the care of other experienced school staff.
"Jonathan was a respected, professional and gifted teacher who is greatly missed in school. Students have and will commemorate his commitment to them in a fitting memorial."
