Giorgio Contardi, 24, died after he fell from the window of a hotel in Leeds in March 2019 following a row with his girlfriend Konstantina Gkatzia
A podiatry student died after jumping from a hotel window following a drunken row with his girlfriend as the pair celebrated her birthday, an inquest heard.
Giorgio Contardi, 24, said he ‘wanted to die’ before ‘flying through’ the hotel window and plunging to his death as his horrified partner, Konstantina Gkatzia, watched on.
The couple, described as ‘happy’ and ‘in love’, had been drinking with friends in Leeds, West Yorkshire, on March 23 last year when they began arguing over Mr Contardi’s alcohol consumption, an inquest heard yesterday.
The argument ‘got physical’ after they returned to their hotel room and, as the altercation escalated, each of them threatened to break up with the other and claimed they ‘wanted to die’.
At the time of his death Mr Contardi was a masters student specialising in podiatric surgery at Huddersfield University.
It was heard he had planned to propose to his girlfriend of three and half years at the top of the Empire State Building on a surprise trip to New York this year.
Giving evidence at Wakefield Coroner’s Court, Miss Gkatzia said her boyfriend’s last words were, ‘do you think I could ever hurt you’, to which she replied, ‘you just did’.
With tears streaming down her face, Miss Gkatzia added: ‘The next thing I know I just see him flying through the window, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
‘I ran up [to the window] and saw him fall on the floor.
‘Everything happened in seconds, I couldn’t comprehend what was happening.’
Mr Contardi, who was from Chesterfield, South Yorkshire, was rushed by ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary, where he was pronounced dead at 1.03am on March 24, 2019.
Miss Gkatzia told the court Mr Contardi had no history of mental health issues and the only time they ever argued, or became physical with one and other, was after he had been drinking.
Mr Contardi died after he fell from a room at the Roomzzz apart hotel in Leeds, pictured
The court heard the couple met at university and had been in a relationship for three and a half years before they travelled to Leeds to celebrate Miss Gkatzia’s birthday on March 23.
They checked into Roomzzz hotel, where two of their friends were also staying, at around 5pm and Mr Contardi began drinking vodka a short time later, it was heard.
After getting an Uber to the city centre the group went to a bar and drunk approximately three cocktails each before going for a meal, where more alcohol was consumed.
Miss Gkatzia said: ‘Giorgio just kept finding it funny to order more drinks, drinks kept coming over all the time.’
After leaving the restaurant and heading back to the first bar Miss Gkatzia noticed her partner stumbling and instructed her group of friends to discreetly order him soft drinks without his knowledge.
However, after arriving at the bar Miss Gkatzia spotted Mr Contardi attempting to order alcohol and confronted him about his behaviour, which resulted in him storming out into the street.
Following a row the couple got into a taxi and returned to Roomzzz, where the argument escalated and the pair began hitting one and other.
Miss Gkatzia told the court: ‘He grabbed me by my neck and he was holding me, I was a bit scared.
‘In normal life Girogio was anything but that, he wouldn’t touch a fly.
‘The moment he let go of me I said, “that’s it, I’m breaking up with you”…. I didn’t mean it.’
Miss Gkatzia then noticed Mr Contardi putting his hand out of a window, which he had opened because he was hot, and thinking his behaviour was ‘weird’.
She tried to close it but said she couldn’t because it was ‘jammed’ and she asked Mr Contardi to try but he couldn’t shut it either.
Giving evidence, Miss Gkatzia said: ‘At one point Giorgio was saying “I want to die” and I said “I want to die”.
‘I didn’t really take him seriously, I knew the next day we would be fine again, it’s one of those things.’
She added: ‘I remember Girogio saying, “Konstantina do you think I could ever hurt you?”
‘I said “you just did”, I shouted it.’
It was at that point Miss Gkatzia says she saw Mr Contardi run towards the window and jump out.
His body was spotted by a number of passersby and an ambulance was called, which transported him to the hospital where he died a short time later.
Miss Gkatzia told the court she does not believe her boyfriend meant to kill himself.
She added: ‘There’s no chance on earth he would mean to do that… I think he was trying to make me worried.
‘I’m 100 per cent sure it was an accident.
‘Girogio was the happiest guy I have ever met in my life.
‘Five days before we were looking at flats and moving in together and starting our lives together.
‘The only time we had problems was when Giorgio had a lot to drink.’
A pathologist’s report read to the court by coroner Jonathan Leach, ruled Mr Contardi, who was intoxicated, died from head injuries.
At the time of his passing, Mr Contardi was studying for a masters degree in podiatric surgery at Huddersfield University, where he graduated in podiatry from in 2016.
In a statement read to the court by the coroner, his dad Peter said: ‘His death is such a tragic loss to our family.’
The jury inquest into his death is due to conclude today.
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