Inquest opens into New Year’s Day death of snooker champion after Alexandra Palace darts trip

The tearful mum of a junior national snooker champion and talented Gaelic footballer killed by a train during a trip to London told how he lost his phone shortly before his tragic death.

University student Connor Marron, 19 from Northern Ireland, had been in London to watch the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace, in Haringey, with pals on New Year’s Day in the hours before he was found dead.

His devastated mother, Sharon Marron, told a pre-inquest hearing at North London Coroner’s Court that he became separated from his friends when he lost his phone and went back to the venue to try and find it.

Connor, from Ballymena in County Antrim, is believed to have been fatally struck by a train between Alexandra Palace and Hornsey railway stations in the early hours of January 2 2021.

Mrs Marron, who attended the hearing via videolink alongside Connor’s dad Fergal, sobbed as she told the hearing her son had lost his phone and gone back to the Palace to try and find it shortly before he died.

She said: “Everything went wrong from the minute he lost his phone.

“His friend who was with him said he went back to the Alexandra Palace venue to find his phone, but he was never seen again.”

Roger Andrews, of British Transport Police, agreed to prepare a full report into the circumstances of the lad’s death within three months.

Grieving relatives of Connor - described as a “multi-talented and gifted sportsman” - were assigned a family liaison officer to keep them up to date with the investigation.

Talented snooker player Connor won the Under 16 Northern Ireland Snooker Championship at the age of just 12.

He also represented the Northern Ireland Pool Association at both national and international level.

He was a second-year student at Ulster University studying human resources at the time of his death.

A full inquest was scheduled to take place in April at the same court.

Andrew Walker, senior coroner for north London, said evidence at the full hearing was likely to include “CCTV from the train, from the train station where he got off and CCTV that captures him on tracks by the train.”

He told Connor’s family: “Our intention is to make sure we help you as quickly and carefully as we can so that you can understand the sequence of events that led up to this tragic death.

“I offer you both my deepest sympathies at this time.”