William Willington

William Willington was found dead in Torquay Harbour on Saturday 10 August 1959.

He had left his home the evening before to spend time with some friends who were down from Birmingham on holiday for the Babbacombe Regatta.

He had lived at 4 Wellington Road in Ellacombe. His son said that he last saw William Willington on the 9 August 1959 and that when he returned home later in the evening that he was not home. He said that when he realised that William Willington was still not home the following morning that he informed the police.

William Willington's body was found by a boat proprietor who lived in Warren Road, lying face down in the harbour by North Quay. He said that he had been standing on the quay near its landing steps at about 8.20am on the Saturday morning when he saw William Willington's body lying between two concrete slabs, noting that it was clear of the water. He said then that with assistance he recovered William Willington's body from the water.

It was noted that high tide had been at about 3am that morning and it was said that William Willington's body was lying in a position in which it might have been left after the tide receded.

The boat proprietor said that he had been on  the North Quay until about 6.30pm the previous day and said that William Willington's body had not been there at that time.

Another man, a boat owner that lived in Abbey Road, said that he had assisted the boat proprietor and a police constable in lifting William Willington's body out of the water with the aid of a rowing boat. He added that he had returned from a sea cruise the night before at about 9.45pm and said that he didn't see anything unusual by the quay then.

A doctor that was called to the harbourside at about 10am on the Saturday said that he found that William Willington had been dead for about seven hours.

He noted that he saw that William Willington had several lacerations to his face and hands.

However, the pathologist that carried out William Willington's post mortem said that he didn't think that the injuries were caused before his death and gave his cause of death as drowning.

A policeman said that there was nothing to indicate that William Willington had been involved in a scuffle or that he had been the victim of violence of any description.

Following the evidence being heard at his inquest on Friday 21 August 1959 an open verdict was returned.