Raver who drowned in Thames was planning Italian tour, inquest heard

Sad death: Raver Keith Robinson drowned in the Thames at Limehouse, an inquest heard
Fiona Simpson16 February 2017

An east London raver who drowned in the River Thames was planning a tour of Italy with his music group, an inquest heard.

Keith Robinson, 48, was walking with his friend, Matthew Roberts, to calm down after becoming paranoid because of an altercation near his home in Limehouse, on the afternoon of September 18 last year.

The inquest at Poplar Coroner's Court heard that after approaching the river and getting "drenched", witnesses saw Mr Robinson walk on to nearby railings, jump and land on concrete, before flipping into the water and swimming in.

Mr Roberts said he had left him moments before to get him a change of clothes, but when he returned, saw Mr Robinson in the water who looked like he was "meditating".

He called the emergency services, but they arrived after Mr Robinson's body was underwater. His body was recovered four days later and a post-mortem examination revealed he had drowned.

Mr Roberts said: "It did not cross my mind that he was in a dangerous state", adding that he thought Mr Robinson's decision was impulsive.

Coroner Heather Williams concluded that Mr Robinson's death was an accident, saying he "was someone who liked performing daredevil activities" and that impulsion could be a factor in his death.

"I do not conclude that he intended to commit suicide."

His mother, Jenny Chapman, said Mr Robinson was planning to take his music group, the Desert Storm Soundsystem, to Italy, and told her he was getting ready for the trip six days before his death.

She told the court that her son was struggling with "severe bouts of depression" in the year up to his death, and was living in a warehouse "due to a lack of energy and wanting to hide from life."

"I really understood it when he started disappearing for long periods of time and would not answer his phone and his friends would not know where he was," said Mrs Chapman.

Mr Robinson, a founding member of the Desert Storm Soundsystem group, served in Afghanistan in 2010 and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, the court heard.

Following the inquest, Mrs Chapman said: "Keith was a very charismatic person, he had a very active life in music and had a very strong social conscience.

"He had a huge following in many parts of the world."

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