This is the man who was found dead on the M4 motorway the day after he was confronted by online paedophile hunters.
Adrian Smith, 48, died of multiple injuries after falling from a motorway bridge and being struck by several vehicles on February 22, an inquest this week heard.
The previous day he had been accused of paedophilia during a livestream run by self-proclaimed ‘child protection service groups’ and was arrested by police at his home.
Married Mr Smith, from Chipping Sodbury in South Gloucestershire, was held on February 21 following the ‘sting’ by online sleuths but was released the following day without charge.
Hours later, at about 6.40pm, he was found dead after falling from height onto the carriageway north of Bristol, Avon Coroners’ Court heard this week.
Mr Smith was alleged to have sent explicit pictures and messages to an online paedophile hunter posing as a 14-year-old girl and photos of him in handcuffs following his arrest were published to online Facebook groups.
Coroner’s officer Alexis Camp told an inquest opening that Mr Smith was identified by his fingerprints. She said a post-mortem examination gave his cause of death as multiple injuries. Ms Camp added: ‘I understand there are no family concerns.’
Statements will be taken from Mr Smith’s doctor, his family and witnesses, with a full post-mortem report prepared for his full inquest hearing. Maria Voisin, senior coroner for Avon, provisionally listed Mr Smith’s inquest on June 11.
After his death the online hunters took to Facebook to call for people to ‘allow his family to grieve in a respectful manner’.
The post added: ‘We exposed a pred and handed him to the police, we have no control over the choices made by him.’
Following the death Avon and Somerset Police referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC), as is mandatory after a death occurs following police contact
A police spokeswoman said: ‘We understand this incident may be distressing for some people and we urge you to seek support should you need it.
‘You can speak with your GP or reach out to charities such as Mind and Samaritans, who offer support online and over the phone.
‘We would ask people not to speculate during this time and to respect the family’s privacy.’