'No way' skydiver would have killed himself
The former girlfriend of a skydiver who plunged 13,000 feet to his death told an inquest today there was “no way” he would have killed himself.
Army cadet Stephen Hilder, 20, fell to his death at Hibaldstow Airfield, north Lincolnshire, after both his main and reserve parachutes were sabotaged.
Ruth Woodhouse, 25, of Stafford, said: “I’ve looked back on the whole relationship since his death and even in hindsight I couldn’t find a single thing to suggest that he would have killed himself, or why anyone would kill him.
“I don’t understand why anyone would want to do that to Steve.”
She said she had been in a “light-hearted relaxed relationship” with Mr Hilder for around five months before his death.
Asked by coroner Stewart Atkinson whether she thought Mr Hilder may have committed suicide she said: “There is no way, there is just no way.”
She said: “I honestly don’t believe he would do that to himself. I really don’t think he would do it to skydiving.
“I don’t think he would want to disgrace the sport like that.”
