William Chapman’s family laid bare his mental health struggles as a coroner confirmed the former child actor died from “multiple traumatic injuries” after climbing into a tiger enclosure at a UK wildlife park.
The 24-year-old trader, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and suffered previous bouts of psychosis, was pronounced dead at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in northern England last Saturday. His family chose not to attend the opening of his inquest at Doncaster Coroners Court on Thursday, but they submitted a statement to the coroner outlining his history with mental illness.
“His family have expressed a number of concerns in relation to his contact with mental health services leading up to his death,” the coroner said at the hearing, according to Yorkshire Live.
The coroner detailed how Chapman breached the enclosure’s security before the fatal encounter. “[Chapman] climbed two fences and entered the tiger enclosure,” the coroner said. “He approached the tiger and following an interaction suffered multiple traumatic injuries.”
The provisional cause of death has been recorded as multiple traumatic injuries and animal interaction. The inquest has now been adjourned until March 18 next year.
Witnesses described Chapman’s behavior in the moments before the attack. He was seen pacing around with headphones in, happily dancing, and asking fellow zoo-goers to snap a picture of him with the tiger in the background. He reportedly told the 5-year-old Siberian tiger, Altai, to “stop being naughty” before it pounced on him, dragging him to a wooded part of the enclosure and killing him.
Chapman had recorded video from inside the predator’s enclosure before being mauled to death in front of fellow parkgoers.
Park officials confirmed Altai would not be euthanized following the tragedy.
Chapman’s loved ones remembered him as “a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved – and William loved them back.”
Beyond his trading work, Chapman had pursued acting as a child. He appeared in the 2009 two-part UK miniseries “May Contain Nuts,” which starred Harry Potter actor Shirley Henderson, known for playing Moaning Myrtle. He also attended the Jackie Palmer Stage School, whose alumni include Eddie Redmayne and James Corden.
The circumstances that led Chapman to enter the enclosure remain unknown.