A SALISBURY man charged with child sex offences was found dead in a hotel in the French Alps just days after he failed to appear at Salisbury Magistrates’ Court, an inquest heard.

Andrew Peter Greenwood, 44, of George Street, was found in his room in Hôtel Alpina, Les Gets, on December 22 last year.

Wiltshire coroner David Ridley recorded an open verdict at the inquest held in Salisbury on Friday, and said he had received insufficient evidence from French authorities to come to a conclusion about the cause of death.

Mr Greenwood was arrested on June 3 and was due to appear in court on December 17 but did not turn up.

Charles Mercier-Guyon, a French forensic medical examiner, concluded he either died of natural causes or from a suicidal overdose, as alcohol and medicine was found in his hotel room.

A blood sample was taken during the examination, but was not tested, and a toxicology examination could not be carried out in England as Mr Greenwood’s body had been embalmed before being flown home.

Therefore a post mortem carried out by Dr Ian Cook at Salisbury District Hospital also could not identify a cause of death.

“I have no reason not to record a cause of death as unascertainable,” said Mr Ridley. “I have a situation whereby the French medical examiner says it is suicide or natural causes, which is not exactly very helpful.

“I can only realistically record facts that the evidence allows me to conclude.”