Student's suicide "bewildering"
College has been shaken by the death of a third year Biochemistry student, Richard Parker, who committed suicide on the last day of term before the Christmas break. Parker, a biochemistry student on a year in industry, died in circumstances that have be described as "bewildering."
On Friday 20th December Mr Parker went to a business lunch at the Biochemistry Department, which ended at about 5pm. It seems he had something to drink but not excessive amounts. After wandering around department, he made his way to Evelyn Gardens and entered Southwell Hall of residence.
At around 6pm Mr Parker set off the fire alarms in houses 55 and 56. He then evacuated students from the building, claiming he was the Senior Fire Officer for halls of residence. Subwardens, also in the process of evacuating the students, did not recognise Parker and so, suspecting that he was responsible for breaking the alarm glasses, took him out of Southwell and asked the security guard on duty to hold him. However, the security guard, observed by residents to be clearly drunk, let him go.
Mr Parker again went back into the Southwell Hall, this time with a subwarden from Bernard Sunley. Again he claimed he was a fire officer and insisted on flashing his College swipecard to prove it. Students who recognised him from the first time, alerted a subwarden who escorted Mr Parker to Southwell Hall’s warden, Ken Young.
Dr Young questioned Mr Parker but he refused to admit to smashing the fire alarms. He did accept that he wasn’t a fire officer, however. Questioning went on for about an hour, until the warden decided that no further progress would be made that night. "It continually seemed that he was either going to walk out or lash out" commented the warden, who noted that Mr Parker seemed drunk. Dr Young eventually sent him home telling him the matter would be kept ‘in house’ if he returned in the morning to sort things out.
Richard Parker was escorted out of the hall by the warden and walked to his girlfriend’s house in nearby Edith Road. Also a student at Imperial College, his girlfriend left Parker in the flat soon after they arrived to return to Southwell in order to retrieve his jacket and glasses. Mr Parker had been particularly upset about leaving these items behind and insisted that she fetch them. Whilst there, she talked to the Warden, commenting that he was acting "way out of character". She was clearly worried though not overly concerned and after chatting with the Warden for about half an hour, went back to her flat.
On her return, she found Mr Parker had hung himself whilst she was out. He had left a rambling suicide note in which his apology for the havoc he had caused in Southwell seemed to be his only major concern.
Dr Chapman, of the Biochemistry Department, expressing his sadness at the death of Richard Parker said "...a fine student, it came completely out of the blue." The company he was working for this year have informed College that they will not only miss him as a person, but also miss his professional contributions "...he was doing an excellent job in the lab." All third year biochemists were informed of Richard Parker’s death and many of his friends have had the opportunity to talk about their loss with members of staff. Dr Chapman talking about suicide in general said "one is one too many."
It has been left to the jury at the inquest, which takes place on the 13th February, to determine the reasons for Richard Parker’s actions, though speculation is rife.
