Alfie Beard inquest: Helston family pays tribute to much-loved son

Kim Whaley, mother of Alfie Beard who died last August, had a statement read out during an inquest today (March 10) into the death of her son last year.

Alfie had been driving on the A394 between Helston and Penzance when he lost control of his car and failed to navigate a left-hand bend, resulting in the vehicle leaving the road and dropping approximately ten metres down a hedge.

Alfie suffered serious head injuries described as “unsurvivable” and was pronounced dead at the scene during the evening of August 2, 2022.

Senior Coroner Andrew Cox ruled that Alfie died as a result of a road traffic collision and that something had distracted him; however, it was not possible to say what that distraction had been. 

During the inquest into his death Alfie’s mother, Kim Whaley, asked for a statement to be read out that also contained a number of tributes to Alfie from friends, teachers, and his girlfriend.

The statement, which was read by Senior Coroner Andrew Cox, said: “Alfie was our first born that we were blessed with after being told we were unlikely to have children.

“Wherever he went, Alfie touched everyone’s hearts.

“His smile and warmth melted our hearts. People of all ages were drawn to him.

“He was never judgemental and had a love for any social interaction.

“At home, Alfie was the life and soul of our family. He didn’t shy away from showing his love for us.

“Alfie was an active child and loved to play sports. Outside of school, he loved walking many miles with his dad.

“He was very intelligent and a good student, and he was well loved at school by both pupils and staff.”

The inquest also heard how a former headteacher of a school Alfie attended described him as “such a good human being” and “such a good role model for students at school,” with another former teacher stating that Alfie would be “sorely missed and fondly remembered.”

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The statement contained several tributes from Alfie’s friends, one of which said: “His smile always lit up the room and was contagious,” before going on to describe him as a “genuinely lovely lad” and “the best friend anyone could have.”

Also among the tributes to Alfie was that of his girlfriend, who described his as “the most caring, loving, and goofiest person,” who “always knew how to put a smile on someone’s face.”

Alfie’s brother left a tribute to him saying: “My brother Alfie was the most genuine person I ever knew.

“He always put everyone else first.

“He was the best brother anyone could ever ask for and I wouldn’t have changed him for the world.

“He always put a smile on my face. I’m proud to be able to say he’s my brother.”

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The inquest heard that, on the night that he died, Alfie had been out to the pub with a friend – however, a toxicology report found that he was under the legal limit when the incident occurred.

In his summing up of the inquest, Senior Coroner Andrew Cox said: “[On the night in question] Alfie fails to navigate a left-hand bend. He suffers head injuries that were unsurvivable.

“Something has caused him not to realise he needed to navigate the bend.

“Alfie, as the driver of the car, lost control of his vehicle.

“In the circumstances, I think the right conclusion is death following a road traffic collision.

“I’m really sorry that we’ve met in these circumstances. It’s very clear from the statement I read out that Alfie was much-loved and respected.

“He brought a lot of happiness and joy to others.”

Falmouth Packet | News