City restaurant Coq D’Argent did “all it can” to stop suicide of food blogger Wilkes McDermid, coroner rules

A City restaurant did everything it could to prevent a man throwing himself from its seven-storey roof garden, a coroner's inquest has ruled. 

 

Food blogger Wilkes McDermid jumped from the Coq D'Argent restaurant on Poultry, near Bank, on 8 February. The City of London coroner Dr Roy Palmer recorded his death as suicide, saying the cause was severe head injuries. 

 

McDermid is the fifth person to have jumped from Coq D'Argent in recent years, but Palmer ruled that the restaurant, which is owned by D&D London, had done “all it can” to prevent such incidents. 

 

He said: “I am aware that this is not the first time someone has jumped from that restaurant. I know the City of London health and safety officers has visited it and so have I.

 

“The restaurant has done all it can to make it difficult, if not impossible, for people to leave the premises other than by the lift or the stairs.

 

“There can be no possible criticism of the restaurant. They have taken steps before, and since the incident, have taken more steps to make it extremely difficult for someone to do the same thing.”

 

City of London health and safety officer Tony Bride agreed, saying it had met “all legal requirements of health and safety”, according to the Evening Standard. 

 

McDermid, who left a lengthy message online about relationship struggles, had a history of depression, Palmer said. He flew to South Africa in 2012, where he planned to jump from Table Mountain but “was overcome by his fear of heights”.

 

In 2012, investment banker Nico Lambrechts died after jumping from the same building. 

 

D&D London had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.