Sam Griffiths – thoughts from his friends and family

The inquest for Sam was held at Haywards Heath Magistrates Court this morning, 25th March 2009.

Coroner Penelope Schofield recorded a verdict of misadventure after hearing that Sam tripped, fell and was electrocuted when he struck the live line at Burgess Hill Railway Station. She stated that she would be writing to British Transport Police to express her concern over the public’s lack of awareness regarding the danger of live rails, which carry current (three times more powerful than domestic wiring) 24 hours of the day every day of the year.

In her summing up, the Coroner stated that it was very clear that Sam was much loved, had a very special sense of humour and was really fun to be around.

The day before the inquest, Sam’s mother and father, Christiane and Ian, expressed the wish that Hurst’s Headmaster Tim Manly and one or two of Sam’s teachers and friends to prepare a few words about the Sam they knew and that they would wish to share on this very difficult day for all Sam’s friends and family.

“As a school and as a community” said Hurst’s Headmaster Tim Manly “we miss Sam hugely. Sam joined Hurst’s Sixth Form in September 2008 from Brighton College and in the months he was with us, he became a very popular, much loved and greatly valued member of the school community. His wonderfully gentle, friendly manner, his extraordinary sense of fun, his natural gregariousness and his ‘can do’ approach to life endeared him to all he met. Above all, Sam was a genuinely good person who brought a smile to the faces of his friends and who had an enormous amount to contribute. Our community has been the richer for his presence and we mourn his loss, which has been felt throughout the school.”

His housemaster, Rob Shearman regarded Sam as “a quite remarkable young man. From the first day that Sam joined Hurst”, said Mr Shearman “he made Star his home, making friends with everyone very quickly indeed. He was a very likable lad with an easy going, upbeat approach to life. That was one of the remarkable things about Sam, he made such a terrific impact by simply being himself. His instinct was always to throw himself into everything that was going on and his enthusiasm (and usually his innate ability) enabled him to make an extraordinary contribution to both his House and the School in a very short space of time”.

Baran Ceylan, a close friend from Star House at Hurst, recalls Sam’s extraordinary contribution to the fiercely contested house play competition. “We achieved the most cheers and the most laughter and it was mostly down to Sam who somehow managed to combine the key roles of Sea Monster and Pirate Captain. We’d had almost no rehearsal but Sam was confident, upbeat and frankly, absurdly ridiculous. It was a masterpiece of invention and both the Director of Drama and the Headmaster commented at the time on the quality of his performance and his natural ability to make others smile and laugh; a quality that he demonstrated every day of his school life at Hurst.”

One of Sam’s great loves was rugby. Rob Kift, Hurst’s Director of Sport, was greatly impressed with Sam’s qualities as a sportsman and as a person. “Sam had a ready wit and a great sense of fun. He was much loved by all those who came into contact with him because what you saw is what you got – an outgoing, talented, enthusiastic young man who threw himself into anything that he did. He loved his rugby, immediately established himself as an integral member of the senior rugby squad and had, in my view, the makings of a really outstanding player.”

Jamie Thompson, a year older than Sam and in the Upper Sixth, played with him in Hurst’s 2nd XV agreed with this view. “Sam took his rugby rather more seriously than he wanted to admit and he had terrific potential. He was a genuinely nice guy with a great attitude to life and a determination to do well whilst having fun and making people laugh.

Chelsey Shackleton, who with Sam joined Hurst in the Lower Sixth from Brighton College, perhaps summed up what everyone knew about Sam. “Sam” she said “had the wonderful quality of not taking himself too seriously; he laughed at himself and made others laugh but his humour never belittled anyone else. Faced with a challenge, he would throw himself at it, always give it his best shot and always help and encourage others to do the same. He was truly a nice person and a wonderfully sympathetic and understanding friend.”

Christiane, Ian and Sam's sister Kate said: "Our lives have been greatly enriched by Sam and, as his family, we want to find a way to move forward that pays tribute to his kind and loving nature and his spirit of fun and adventure."

To read earlier tributes to Sam, please click here