New Forest community campaigner died in bizarre sex act

9:02am Monday 1st December 2008

By Echo Reporter

A HIGHLY respected community campaigner died after accidentally choking to death during a bizarre sex act, an inquest has heard.

Thomas Craddock, pictured, was found at his New Forest home wearing women’s underwear and a white corset with his hands and ankles bound together with stockings.

The 61-year-old, who was well known throughout the community for his campaigning to preserve the character of the village, was discovered two days after he had died.

Southampton Coroner’s Court heard how from the position of his body and the way the stockings had been looped around his wrists and ankles, it was clear he had been taking part in a sex act by himself.

Home Office pathologist Hugh White told the court that his death was common with other cases of asphyxia where people had died after conducting similar practices for sexual arousal.

He said there was no ligature around the neck and that Mr Craddock, of Sea Road, New Milton, died after his nose and mouth were blocked and he was unable to breathe.

Dr White said there were no signs of injury to Mr Craddock and that he could not rule out the possibility of a heart attack. Det Sgt Andy Lupton told the court that there was no evidence to suggest anyone else was involved in his death and that people in the community described him as a “close and well thought of friend”.

Coroner Keith Wiseman said the situation was not unheard of in the inquest court but from Dr White’s findings it was clear that Mr Craddock did not intend to take his own life.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, he said: “This was a tragic accident which took place in the context that Dr White talked about.

“But it would be wrong if I did not refer to the inquiries made which were very positive from friends and family. He seems on the face of it to be a well respected member of the community.”

Local councillors paid tribute to Mr Craddock’s efforts to fight developers who wanted to bulldoze houses and replace them with blocks of flats.

New Milton Town Council planning committee chairman John Mason said: “Mr Craddock used to do a lot of work gathering information for objections to planning applications. His arguments were very erudite and factual.”

John Trott, chairman of the New Milton, Barton and District Residents’ Association, said: “He was regarded for the soundness of his approach.”

New Milton councillor Steve Davies added: “He was an excellent chap who was extremely highly regarded.”

One of the battles fought by Mr Craddock involved an application by Churchill Retirement to demolish four family homes at Barton and replace them with a block of 28 flats. He represented 150 objectors at a planning inquiry.