"Much loved” Portsmouth teenager killed by train near home in mysterious circumstances after night out

“Gentle giant” Jake Norman, 16, died when he was hit by a train in the early hours of Sunday April 23 after enjoying a night out with family and friends at The Manor pub in Court Lane, Drayton. 

Portsmouth Coroner’s Court heard how the “popular” former Springfield School, City of Portsmouth College and Highbury College student was “thriving” after starting work with his dad as a groundworker.

Jake, who had no physical or mental health issues, had consumed nine drinks during his evening out and told friends he had taken some cocaine and ketamine before jumping in an Uber taxi with a couple from the pub he knew around midnight. Jake asked if he could stay on in the taxi when the couple got out, telling the driver: “I can’t go home in this state.”

But the taxi driver was unable to accommodate Jake and after advising him to walk it off, Jake thanked the driver and said he would “get out to clear my head”. Thomas Webber, Jake’s friend from school who he was in the taxi with, said: “(Jake) did not appear to be drunk and was in a good mood.”

After the short journey, all three of them got out of the taxi with Jake last seen walking towards a forest area leading to the train tracks that could be “easily passed”.

Several hours later a South Western train driver travelling from Southampton to Portsmouth around 6.30am at a reduced speed of 20mph due to railworks spotted a body on the tracks near Cosham station before stopping. However, the court heard that no train drivers had reported hitting a person on the tracks - something that was not “unusual” when it is dark according to coroner Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp. “None of the train drivers reported colliding with him but they don’t always know,” she said. 

But the court heard, Jake was probably killed earlier by a freight train not a passenger train. Det Insp Thanh Ly, of British Transport Police, said there was no CCTV or witnesses, with the investigation unable to establish what happened. But he said: “I think (Jake was hit) by a train through the night. They were freight trains and had no CCTV.”

Speaking of Jake’s route home, he added: “He did not take the most direct route (home) and could have gone on the tracks at any point. It was night and it was dark.”

Pathologist Dr Basil Purdue said Jake suffered an “instantaneous” death from “multiple injuries”. He said it was “not possible to eliminate if he had been pushed” on the tracks but said Jake was “moderately intoxicated” from alcohol before adding: “This may have had an impact on his judgement.”    

Ms Rhodes-Kemp recorded an accidental death verdict and said it was “unbelievable loss” with Jake just a “normal lad” who had been for a night out and “did not want to go straight home”. She said: “He took a shortcut he had taken before when he was tragically hit by a train and died.”

The coroner said Jake was “much loved”, adding: “It’s a tragedy. He was a young chap who had everything ahead of him.” 

A family member, speaking at the inquest, said: “(His death) will remain a mystery.”

Jake was one of three children, with his parents Bonnie and Andy describing their “family orientated” son as “outgoing and fun to be around” who was “cheeky” and a “gentle giant”. They added in a statement: “He was very driven and ambitious to get a good job and earn money.”

Speaking of when they last saw Jake in the pub they said he was in a “good mood” before adding: “He took a shortcut across tracks he has done many times before.”