The tragic death of a ‘loved and respectful’ 21-year-old Londoner, whose body was discovered at the base of a cliff near Dover, has been ruled as misadventure by an inquest. Upale Kaloshi had been missing for over two weeks when his body was found by a private investigator and a local resident after he accidentally fell from the cliff, according to the coroner.
Upale, a Lewisham resident, failed to report for his night shift at an Amazon warehouse in Dartford on May 20, 2023, causing concern among his family. His father Fostino Kaloshi stated during an inquest at Oakwood House in Maidstone on Friday May 10 that it was “out of character” for his son to disappear without telling them.
“Even to go for a walk, he would let the family know. But on that day he just went silent,” he said. Coroner Katrina Hepburn mentioned that Upale’s father had spoken to him the night before, noting that he was in “good spirits”.
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Upale was last seen on Saturday, May 20, 2023 and was reported missing by his family the next day. Initially classified as a low-risk missing person by the Metropolitan Police, this status was soon upgraded to medium risk.
Officers visited his home on the afternoon of May 21, and began inquiries to determine his location. The investigation revealed that the 21 year old had travelled to Dover, reports Kent Live. His phone was no longer ringing, but he had made cash withdrawals. “It was not clear what he was doing at this stage,” the coroner stated. The case was escalated to high risk on May 23.
A review of Upale’s phone and financial data was authorised by a senior officer, an investigative technique only used when there is a concern that a person has come to serious harm. The data revealed Upale had been in the Dover area on Saturday, May 20.
On May 24 the Met requested for the investigation to be transferred to Kent Police, but with no evidence to suggest Upale was still in Dover, the request was declined. Checks were made with hospitals in Kent, according to the Met Police.
The next day, officers from the Met carried out CCTV enquiries in Dover and visited locations Upale was suspected to have visited. Following these enquiries, the case was transferred to Kent Police on May 26.
Reading a statement at the inquest, Upale’s family expressed their feeling that “the case was not treated with the urgency it needed” and complained about the “time taken to initiate the investigation”.
Private investigation
Eventually, the family hired Sean Comer, a private investigator who visited Dover on June 6, 2023. Speaking at the inquest, Mr Comer said he began his investigation by going to a cafe which had CCTV footage of Upale.
“CCTV shows Upale coming into the cafe,” said Mr Comer. “He ordered food, and then sat at a table inside the restaurant waiting for his food. He had earphones on. He got his food and then left the restaurant and walked in the direction of Dover town centre. He was on his own. The CCTV was only good for me in that when he left the cafe he went left towards the town centre,” Mr Comer continued.
Speaking to the court, the investigator described how he had spent an entire day making enquiries in Dover town centre with a photo of Upale. He then headed to the Airbnb where the Upale had stayed overnight. “I spoke to the owner, cleaner and members of staff. The cleaner saw him leave,” he said. “I did not pick him up on CCTV. We know he left the airbnb because the cleaner saw him leave.”
Mr Comer then told the court that upon returning to the town centre, he spoke to John McConnell who said he had found a black jumper on the beach. “I knew Upale had left the hotel in a black jumper,” Mr Comer said. “I stayed overnight to continue my investigation.”
The next day Mr McConnell took the investigator to the beach where the jumper was found. “Five to 10 yards in front of the jumper was a body,” Comer said. The inquest stated that the body was discovered in a state of decomposition.
Multiple injuries
The coastguards who recovered Upale’s body reported that parts of it were trapped in rocks. The inquest revealed that Upale had suffered multiple injuries, including broken and dislocated bones, consistent with a fall from height. The coroner stated: “I am not satisfied that suicide would be appropriate”.
She referred to Upale’s plans, which included a missed haircut appointment, a vaccine appointment, and internet searches for American hotels and the process of obtaining an e-passport.
Coroners can record either a ‘short form’ or a ‘narrative’ conclusion at inquests, with the latter typically being longer and more explanatory. In this case, both the police forces and the family agreed with the coroner that a short-form conclusion was appropriate.
The coroner, Ms Hepburn, ruled his death as a result of misadventure. “He went to Dover on purpose, I do not know what the purpose was. He has gone to the cliff, I find that he has accidentally fallen,” she said.
She further added that his death was an ‘unintended consequence’. His internet search history revealed an interest in spiritualism, cliffs, bridges, and portals.
Following the court proceedings, Upale’s brother, Malasa expressed his frustration to KentLive. He said: “With the urgency we had in him missing, we didn’t feel that same way (from police), because obviously the answers we were getting were that he is an adult, he has no medical issues, no nothing.”
“So he wasn’t really put on high risk. Well, for us, it was. So that’s why we were just disappointed.”
Lukundo Kaloshi, Upale’s sister, expressed similar concerns, saying: “The case kept being passed. We spoke to so many police people. He kept being passed on to different people that knew nothing. And they kept making mistakes.”
Also addressed during the inquests were formal complaints made by the family, accusing the police of not thoroughly examining all available CCTV footage and disregarding the information they provided. According to an internal report from Kent Police, the latter allegation was upheld.
Police response
Responding to this, Kent Police said that all necessary CCTV inquiries had been efficiently conducted but conceded that officers could have been more helpful and communicative with the family. Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Smith, leader of the East Kent Missing Persons Team, said: “I would like to offer my condolences to the family of Upale Kaloshi at what must be a very difficult time for them.”
“Following efforts to locate Mr Kaloshi, Kent Police officers have been in contact with his family, offering support and answering their questions. I hope the conclusion of the inquest into his death gives them some degree of closure as they continue to come to terms with their loss.”
A Met Police spokesperson said: “Our thoughts remain with Mr Kaloshi’s family and friends following his tragic death. We note the outcome of the inquest and comments from the Coroner that there was no evidence any police action or inaction caused or contributed to his death.”
The spokesperson continued, “Officers carried out a number of enquiries when Mr Kaloshi was reported missing. These enquiries led to the case being transferred to Kent Police. The Met referred a complaint from the family to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) who passed the matter back to the Met for local investigation. That investigation, by officers from the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS), concluded there were no issues in how the matter was investigated.”
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