Inquest opens into death of missing Bournemouth man

David William Cooper, 39, was reported missing to Dorset Police on the morning of Wednesday, July 26.

Dorset Police located David’s white transit van near Moors Valley in Ashley Heath on Thursday, July 27, which prompted a mass search by emergency services.

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Floral tributes have been left by the public outside of Jacks Garden for David.

Senior coroner for Dorset Rachael Griffin presided over a brief hearing at Bournemouth Town Hall on August 3.

A body, confirmed to be David, was found by Dorset Police in a secluded area of Jacks Garden Woods on July 29, three days after he went missing.

Mrs Griffin was told David’s provisional cause of death had been given as hanging, by a postmortem examination.

Coroner’s officer Pip Morgan told the Dorset Coroner’s Court: “On 26 July David was reported as missing to Dorset Police.

“Investigations led Dorset Police to a wooded area by West Moors.

“On 29 July David was located unresponsive and hanging in a secluded area of the woods.

“David was identified by a family photograph.”

The inquest heard that David, of Capstone Road, was a painter and decorator in Bournemouth.

The postmortem concluded that there was no evidence of a third party or suspicious circumstances.

The coroner adjourned the inquest, for a full hearing to be held on January 4, 2024.

In a statement released by Dorset Police on July 29, Inspector Joe Wheable said: “Our thoughts are with David’s family and loved ones at this extremely difficult time and officers are doing all they can to support them.

“I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the searches, especially all the search volunteers including those from our neighbouring counties.”