- Body of Andrew Smyth, 32, was found dumped in woodland in Antalya
- Parents claim he was followed, robbed and killed after night out at club
- But coroner records open verdict and says he can take case no further
- Holidaymaker had heroin traces in his body, possibly from spiked drink
Holiday death: Andrew Smyth, 32, from Surrey, is feared to have been a ‘honeytrap’ victim in Turkey
A
British holidaymaker was killed and his bank account plundered after
being lured by a woman he met on holiday in Turkey in a 'honeytrap', his
parents insisted today.
The
body of Andrew Smyth, 32, was found dumped in undergrowth four miles
away from a nightclub where he had been, and his bank account cleared
out through a cash machine.
But
a coroner in Surrey recorded an open verdict - saying that he
understood how the family concluded foul play, but could take the case
no further after a four-year investigation.
However,
Mr Smyth’s family believe his drink was spiked at the nightclub, before
he was followed, robbed and murdered. His fully-clothed body was found
face down in woodland.
He had traces of heroin in his body - possibly from the spiked drink, toxicology tests
showed.
showed.
An
inquest at Surrey Coroner's Court in Woking was told that the athletic
electrician had flown to Antalya a week earlier for a fortnight’s break
at his father and stepmother’s holiday home.
His
friend flew home after a week but Mr Smyth stayed, going out drinking
on a Friday night with a woman he had met at the resort.
However,
at 3am the following morning, CCTV footage showed him leaving the club -
shortly before a series of withdrawals were made from a cash machine,
emptying his bank account.
Hours later his body was spotted in a forest with no cash in his pockets other than small change.
A
post-mortem examination found a heroin metabolite, 6-MAM, in Mr Smyth’s
body - indicating that the Class A drug had been consumed before his
death, in September 2010.
Dr
Ashley Fegan-Earl, who carried out an autopsy at the Royal Surrey
Hospital in Guildford once Mr Smyth’s body had been repatriated, could
find no evidence of a fight or any injuries. The original post-mortem
examination was not carried out for five days.
'What we expected': Mr Smyth pictured
with his mother, Celia Armstrong, who said she was 'disappointed' after a
coroner returned an open verdict at an inquest into his death
He
said the presence of 6-MAM showed that heroin specifically had been
present, rather than any other opiates, and he had found water on the
lungs - which was consistent with heroin toxicity.
Toxicology
tests showed he was below the drink-driving limit, with just 55mg of
alcohol per 100ml of blood, 35mg off the 80mg UK maximum.
However
the pathologist added that although the signs pointed towards opiate
toxicity, given the state of decomposition, he felt unable to establish a
cause of death.
Dr
Fegan-Earl added: ‘An unusual fact is the location of Andrew’s body,
which seems to be at odds with what he was doing, enjoying himself in a
club.’
Mr
Smyth grew up in Surrey and trained to be an electrician, before
relocating to Swindon in Wiltshire, where he took on a new job and dated
a number of women.
He had flown to Turkey in September 2010 for two weeks with a woman he had met on dating website Plenty of Fish.
Amanda
Miles told the hearing that the pair had only met a few months earlier,
kissed once and decided afterwards that they were better off as
friends.
They pair stayed at an apartment in Side owned by his father and his partner, then Lynne Cannon.
Electrician: Mr Smyth had flown out for a fortnight’s break at his father and stepmother’s holiday home
Mr
Smyth’s father told the inquest that he had received regular phone
calls and texts from his son while he was away, which was unusual - but
he had been having trouble with Miss Miles.
She
conceded they had had a volatile friendship, and that they had argued
over ‘silly’ things because Mr Smyth was often in a bad mood - which led
to a row in the holiday resort one night.
During
the first week of the holiday, they decided Miss Miles would leave
early and, after changing flights, she left Turkey on the Friday.
It’s not the verdict we wanted, but it’s what we expected
Celia Armstrong, Andrew Smyth’s mother
That night Mr Smyth went out drinking at a bar called the Light House, but never came home.
His
decomposing body was later found dumped in a remote area of woodland by
passer-by Adam Yesilova, who was collecting beer cans.
Barman
Soner Korkmaz told the hearing that Mr Smyth had gone to the club with a
woman and the pair had dinner and drinks together.
His
companion, Emilya Agayeva, insisted he had vanished, forcing her to
pawn her earrings for a taxi fare home after running out of money.
However,
the barman claimed Mr Smyth had come and gone to get more cash to buy
drinks, during which time two men joined the woman.
After Mr Smyth had left the club in the city of Side once more, the woman stayed drinking, dancing and kissing one of the men.
Night out: Mr Smyth went out drinking
at a bar called the Light House in the city of Side (pictured from
above) in Antalya province, Turkey, but never returned home
His family believed she could have been acting as a honeytrap and pointed to CCTV footage showing him leaving the club at 3am.
In
the footage, as he exits, a man taps another male on the shoulder and
motions for him to follow Mr Smyth, after which £150 was drained from
his bank account in several withdrawals.
Mr Smyth’s body was found the following morning dumped in woodland four miles away.
An only child, he was born in Torbay, Devon, before his family moved to Camberley, Surrey.
His
parents separated when he was a teenager but he had a good relationship
with both of them, living with both his mother and his father at
different points in time.
The
hearing was told how before his death Mr Smyth had a new job which he
loved - and had planned to emigrate to Australia where his company also
had an office.
His
father Christopher Smyth said: ‘He was really happy. He loved the job,
he liked going to work. The week before he went on holiday he moved to a
new place which he loved.’
At points during the previous years he had struggled with a cocaine habit, the court heard.
Tests
on Mr Smyth’s hair suggested ‘occasional use of cocaine’ in the months
leading up to his death - but no other drug use other than ‘exposure’ to
heroin, thought to be from when he lived with people who smoked the
drug.
His
family have travelled to Turkey on dozens of occasions to try to
uncover the truth about what happened to Mr Smyth and to bring anyone
responsible for his death to justice.
Heroin in his body: A doctor who
carried out an autopsy at the Royal Surrey Hospital (above) in Guildford
once Mr Smyth’s body had been repatriated, could find no evidence of a
fight or any injuries
But
his father, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after
the death, is now too ill to fly there himself - confined to a
wheelchair and having to carry oxygen with him.
Recording
an open verdict, coroner Richard Travers said Mr Smyth had travelled to
Turkey for a holiday after a rough patch in his life, which included a
financial crisis.
He
said: ‘By the summer of 2010 things were picking up for him and it was
in these circumstances he decided to go on holiday to Turkey. He went to
Turkey in the company of a woman called Amanda Miles and initially they
had got on very well.’
After a breakdown in the friendship, Miss Miles left Mr Smyth at the resort on September 10.
It’s undoubtedly a cover up. We had to work quite hard to get anything from the Turkish authorities
Christopher Smyth, father
Mr
Travers continued: ‘She left and did not see or communicate with him
again. The evidence of what happened next is somewhat sparse. The cause
of death was unascertained.
‘I
fully understand that Andrew’s parents believe that there has been foul
play. It is not for me to speculate what may have happened to Andrew.
‘It
is simply not possible to know what happened to Andrew in the hours
before his death. I regret that I am unable to assist the family in any
further ways. I record an open conclusion.’
Speaking after the inquest, Mr Smyth’s mother Celia Armstrong said: ‘It’s not the verdict we wanted, but it’s what we expected.’
Her ex-husband Christopher Smyth, of Mytchett, Surrey, remained convinced people in Turkey were withholding information.
He said: ‘It’s undoubtedly a cover up. We had to work quite hard to get anything from the Turkish authorities.
'I
understand the coroner’s point of view, but without a doubt my son was
assaulted. I firmly believe my son was murdered. He was beaten to death.
He had everything to look forward to in life. I won’t ever give up
(seeking the truth).’
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