Mother continues fight over son's death

The mother of the Royal New Zealand Air Force engineer who died when his motorcycle left State Highway 6 at Cromwell in 2005 has vowed to continue her battle for answers, despite a Queenstown coroner's verdict yesterday.

"We will take the matter further," Carol Tisdall, of Christchurch, told the Otago Daily Times, when asked to comment on coroner Alan Macalister's verdict on the death of her son, Fenton William Tisdall (29).

Mr Macalister ruled Fenton William Tisdall died on, or about, December 31, 2005 as a result of internal injuries caused by the severe impact sustained when his motorcycle crashed off State Highway 6 near the intersection with Shortcut Rd, at Cromwell.

"The cause of the motorcycle leaving the road is not known," Mrs Tisdall declined to elaborate on the next move by her and partner David Lelliott, as she was "not prepared to give the police any ideas".

However, it was her intention the man whom she alleged "admitted" assaulting Mr Tisdall would be charged.

Mrs Tisdall, who said she had not received the coroner's verdict yesterday, insisted her son was "robbed, beaten and strangled" in an argument over a theft at a party at the Matterhorn Motel, in Wanaka, on December 30, 2005.

Mrs Tisdall said Cromwell police "ignored" two witness accounts given in February 2006 which claimed Mr Tisdall was "assaulted - and it was serious". Her son had never driven while drunk in his life.

She has been fighting the case for four years.

Mr Macalister said in the absence of direct evidence, he could make no finding Mr Tisdall was strangled. However, he found he was held in a headlock during the fight. His head was brought into contact with the balcony railing and he was held by the throat against the railing, the coroner ruled.

Mr Macalister said it was not surprising there were some inconsistencies in partygoers' statements, as they were affected by alcohol.

It was "clear" Fenton was affected by alcohol when he drove off "aggressively", the coroner said. But he could not find Mr Tisdall had ridden directly from the party to Cromwell and could not find that the consumption of alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Mr Macalister dismissed the suggestion by Rev Peter Frost, on behalf of the Tisdall family, at the coroner's court hearing in Queenstown, on March 4, there had been a conspiracy by witnesses to play down the fight and the injuries suffered by Mr Tisdall.

"I can find no evidence of such a cover-up," Mr Macalister said.