Tributes have been paid to an “ambitious” and “outgoing” Durham University student who was found dead by his housemates.
Olivier Bojda, 19, was discovered by four friends when they kicked down the door of his bedroom, an inquest has heard.
The students began CPR in an attempt to resuscitate Olivier whilst they waited for paramedics to arrive. However, he was pronounced dead at the scene, with the death ruled a suicide, the Northern Echo reports.
Crook Coroner’s Court was told last week that the economics student, from Newark, Nottinghamshire, struggled with mental health problems despite appearing cheerful at university.
Housemate James Briggs last saw Olivier on 8th June, and told the inquest his friend was “happy and upbeat”. The group left for a holiday in Scotland the following day and believed the 19-year-old was still asleep, as they didn’t see him that morning.
However, when the friends returned to their terraced house in Neville’s Cross, Durham, on 11th June, Olivier’s bedroom door was still closed. James said he tried to open the door but the bed was pushed up against it, blocking access, so he had to kick it down.
Paramedics arrived and advised the students to stop CPR, as the 19-year-old had died.
Neville’s Cross, a residential suburb in Durham via Google Maps
During the inquest, James described Olivier as being “open about his mental health”. As the pair had gotten closer, he’d felt his friend seemed to have suffered from forms of psychological distress for most of his life.
The court heard how another friend, Roni Packman, saw Olivier the day before he was found dead.
They were in the smoking area of Jimmy Allen’s bar together on 10th June, but Olivier left early, complaining of a “terrible stomach”.
Roni described his friend as “outgoing” and someone who possessed great social skills.
“He could always crack a joke and could warm up to anyone,” he added.
A statement from Woldemar Bojda, Olivier’s dad, was also read to the court, where he recounted feeling “very proud” about his son’s achievements.
He said: “I would describe Olivier as a very ambitious person. Olivier was a good student at school, he went to a good sixth form and obtained exceptional grades.
“Olivier got a chance to get into Durham University, which he took, studying economics. He achieved a lot in his life, he worked so hard with his studying and I am very proud of him.”
Woldemar added that his son appeared “happy” in Durham, renting with friends and working part-time at a local Co-op supermarket.
Olivier’s dad had last heard from his son in June, the Friday before his death. He had been with family in Poland, so it had been a few months since the pair had been together in person.
Woldemar had asked Olivier to travel to Poland and join the rest of the family. However, he said his son declined the offer, as he wanted to say goodbye to friends and go to parties before the end of the university term.
The economics student dreamed of working in banking or finance after he graduated, with aspirations of landing a job in big cities like Singapore or London.
Concluding the inquest, assistant coroner Rebecca Sutton ruled Olivier’s death a suicide.
She said: “Olivier was a 19-year-old student at Durham University who suffered with psychological symptoms for a number of years.
“When paramedics arrived, it was apparent that Olivier had been dead for some time, and it was not appropriate to continue.
“There was evidence that Olivier may have taken a substance in his room. I have seen evidence that Olivier’s death was planned, and I find on the balance of probabilities that he intended to end his own life.”
If you have been affected by any of the topics raised in this article, Durham students can contact Durham Nightline between 9am and 7am Monday and Tuesday, and Friday till Sunday during term time.
You can contact the Samaritans at any time by calling 116 123.
You can contact Shout, a 24/7 text messaging service, by texting the word “Shout” to 85258.
If your life is at imminent risk, call 999 for immediate help.
