A STUDENT drowned in a flooded park after telling his girlfriend a man had tried to rape him, an inquest heard.
Fintan Jack Feltham had called partner Molly in the early hours of November 27, 2024, after a night out with friends.
Fintan Jack Feltham drowned in a flooded parkCredit: X/TSNphil
He had made several phonecalls to his girlfriend before he diedCredit: Thames Valley Police
The 18-year-old said a man had attempted to “rape” him but was not heard from again, the inquest was told.
Fintan was discovered dead near Grandpont Nature Park in Oxfordshire on December 3.
The court was told Fintan had travelled from his university accommodation in Reading to on to attend army cadet training.
He went to the cadet bar where he drank with his friends before moving to the Swan and Castle pub in the city centre at 11pm.
They then went to Plush, an LGBTQ+ nightclub, at around 12.15am, where Feltham continued drinking.
He was kicked out of the premises just before 2.30am because he was drunk and was later captured on CCTV “staggering” through the city.
A review of licensing at Plush found staff had “missed some opportunities” to recognise Fintan’s deterioration earlier in the evening, the court heard.
Fintan made several calls to Molly before their final chat at 3.20am before his phone died.
She told the inquest: “He said some guy tried to rape him.
“He said the guy was a b*****d. That is when he said he lost his glasses.”
She added: “He kept saying he was really cold and scared… I have never heard him be like that before.”
Detective Constable Enya Lyons said while an attack was “possible”, no evidence of this was found.
But the court heard there was an eight minute gap in CCTV while Fintan was walking through Oxford.
His last confirmed sighting on camera was at Whitehouse Road at 3.31am, with “no direct evidence” of the route he took after this.
Molly phoned just before 4am – with the call logged as a concern for welfare.
Officers then attended Fintan’s last known location on maps 48 minutes later and checked his accommodation in Reading, taxi ranks, the train station and hospitals.
He was later identified as a high risk and despite extensive searches of the area, was found by a member of the public in a flooded field.
A review into how Thames Valley Police handled the case found Fintan should have been recorded as a missing person sooner but the court heard this would not have changed the outcome.
It also found the force missed a sighting of Fintan’s body on a drone camera.
The War, Peace and International Relations student’s cause of death was given as drowning.
Coroner Nicholas Graham said alcohol intoxication, lack of glasses and an unfamiliarity with the area could have been contributing factors to Fintan’s death.
He said: “It seems to me that there are a number of lessons that have been learned in relation to the circumstances.”
But the coroner found there were “no actions that have caused or contributed to Fintan’s death”.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it received a request to review the handling of a complaint by Thames Valley Police relating to the force’s investigation into Fintan’s death.
In September 2025, it found the outcome of the complaint was “not reasonable and proportionate” and the review was upheld.
The IOPC is currently investigating a further request to review the force’s handling of its reinvestigation.
Thames Valley Police said it carried out a “thorough investigation” which identified some learning but “found nothing that impacted the effectiveness of the initial response or the sad outcome in this case”.
The force said it is unable to comment on the ongoing complaint.
Fintan’s dad described his son as an “intelligent, well-loved and energetic individual who was well respected by his peers”.
He said: “His loss has not just been felt by his family and friends, but anyone who has spent a mere moment with him.
“We cannot get Fintan back, but we hope today lessons will be learned, changes will be made and Fintan will leave behind a legacy that we hope will prevent future deaths.”
Fintan had been on a night out when he vanishedCredit: SWNS
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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