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'Farm worker slept in coat before fire' - inquest

Rhys ThomasBBC Jersey
News imageGrace Castrudes George is wearing a grey hoodie and a backpack and stands on a marina walkway, with rows of moored boats and yachts behind them. A bright red speedboat is tied up in the foreground, and apartment buildings and harbour infrastructure are visible in the distance under an overcast sky.Grace Castrudes
The inquest heard how George Castrudes would unplug the heater because he was worried about the electricity bill

The inquest into the death of a seasonal farmworker in Jersey heard how he would sometimes sleep in his winter coat to keep warm.

George Michael Monte De Ramos Castrudes, 37, died last January after a fire he lit to keep warm at La Valette nursery in Grouville got out of control.

A co-worker and roommate - who wasn't living there at the time of the fire - told an inquest on Wednesday Castrudes used to unplug the heater because he was worried about the electricity bill.

The hearing at Morier House in St Helier has been hearing evidence to establish whether Castrudes' money struggles and immigration status contributed to his death.

The inquest heard Castrudes' account was overdrawn from sending his wages to his family in the Phillippines.

The hearing was also told an electrical report had previously identified the battery in the cabin's smoke alarm needed to be replaced. That was something the farm director Paul Blake said he had not realised until after the tragedy.

The inquest continues and is due to conclude on Friday.

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