A SHOPPING trip turned to tragedy when a 21 years-old man impaled himself on railings in a bid to catch the last train home.

Craig Guest had been shopping and drinking in Manchester with pals Craig Higgins and Paul Mason before deciding to stay in the city to watch Manchester United's European Champions' League victory over Fenerbahce last October, an inquest heard.

The trio had drunk about eight pints of lager each during the day in several pubs and wine bars before going for the last train home to Atherton.

But they got split up as Craig sped on ahead, worried they were about to miss the 23.20 train from Victoria station.

His two friends heard screams and seconds later he dropped off a wall, just outside the station, into Paul's arms with blood spurting from an horrific 11 inch wound in his side.

Paul, 22, of Tyldesley Old Road, Atherton, said: "We were jogging but Craig, being a faster runner, got ahead of us. We heard a scream then when we got there, he fell on top of me, he just fell in to my arms.

"He said 'I've really done myself, I've really hurt myself this time,' looked up and smiled, that was the last thing he did.

"I've no idea why he climbed on the wall, he may have tried to climb back over the fence to get back to us."

The Manchester hearing was told Craig had appeared to have lost his way and attempted to leap over the railings in an attempt to re-join his friends.

After falling on to the six inch spikes, Craig had somehow managed to free himself. BR chargeman Michael Garrity was alerted by the screams.

"I looked out and saw this man with one leg across the railings. I said to colleague 'My God, he's impaled, get an ambulance.'

"I ran out but within a matter of 20 seconds when I got there, there was no sign of him. I looked over the wall, he was on the floor with his friends. The gash was terrible."

Craig Higgins, 22, got a bus driver to call an ambulance while police were on the scene within a minute.

Pc Paul Scholes said: "I plugged the hole in his side with both of my hands, I was very concerned about his blood loss, he looked like he'd lost about three or four pints."

Craig, a furniture shop owner of Hunt Street, Atherton, received emergency surgery at Manchester Royal Infirmary. But he had suffered massive blood loss from a severed vein and following complications, died two days later after the incident.

Deputy Coroner Mr David Horsley recorded a verdict of accidental death, saying:

"What had started off as a pleasant day out with friends had ended with an ultimately fatal race to catch the last train home.

"We've heard the friends were jolly but not particularly intoxicated despite drinking eight pints. That was demonstrated by their ability to jog to the station.

"He ran on ahead and found himself separated in a part of the station he didn't recognise.

"He attempted to get back to his friends by clambering over the railings, it's quite clear this was a very tragic accident.

"He was quite clearly a well liked young man with a very bright future in front of him."

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