'Harry Potter' star's brother, friend dead after being electrocuted while train surfing 'extremely drunk'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A "Harry Potter" star's brother and his pal died while train surfing "extremely drunk," contacting overhead wires carrying 25,000 volts of electricity in East London, according to an inquest proceeding this week.
Ben Haddon-Cave, 27, and Paddy Bolster, 26, were found a mile apart on the Overground line between Stratford and Hackney Wick on March 21.
Haddon-Cave, whose sister Jessie Cave played Lavender Brown in the "Harry Potter" films, was found by firefighters after a neighbor raised the alarm just before 1 a.m.
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He also worked as a music producer and an actor who was expected to play the lead role in an upcoming film.
His other sister, Bebe, starred as Wilhelmina Coke in ITV’s historical drama "Victoria."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}His pal of seven years was a student at Aberystwyth University and had come to London that afternoon to go to a comedy show.
Coroner Mary Hassell said during an inquest Friday at Poplar Coroners’ Court the pair "died on the 21 March 2019, Benjamin Haddon-Cave on the railway track adjacent to Hackney Wick railway station in London, Patrick Bolster adjacent to the Stratford railway station in London."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A pathologist said Haddon-Cave's remains indicated "severe intoxication or extreme drunkenness."
The coroner said: "Death will have occurred immediately because of high voltage electrocution and from there Ben’s body and clothing will have caught fire."
The court heard how witnesses say a bright red and orange flash on top of the train and heard an electrical crack.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The coroner turned to Bolster's dad and said, "There were burns to the upper part of Paddy’s body consistent with high-voltage thermal trauma."
She told how Bolster is likely to have died primarily from trauma to the head, but electrocution contributed.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She said: "This trauma was probably caused when falling from the train. It is less likely that electrocution was the primary cause of death."
A toxicologist found Bolster’s blood alcohol levels were "associated with extreme intoxication".
Sunita Edirisooriya, Bolster’s girlfriend, told the court how she stayed in Aberystwyth to focus on her studies and that she wished she had gone to London.
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Sunita said they discussed getting married.
She said, "We spoke about our future life and future children, we even knew what song we would dance to at our wedding."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The night of the train tragedy, she said: "Paddy texted me saying, 'You’re my wife. All is right in the world, I was thinking we should just get a flat and be happy. Talk to you soon.'
"Paddy is incredibly special and words can’t do him justice."
Haddon-Cave’s family said in a statement: "The very last thing he said to Jamie, who was also at the gig but had to leave early, was he loved him -- something he would often say to all of us.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}From left: Michael Gambon, Tom Felton, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, Bonnie Wright, Jessie Cave and Jim Broadbent are seen at a photocall to launch the new film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," in London (Photo by Ian West/PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
"In our view, stepping onto that freight train that night was an out of character decision.
"We believe that he has been depicted as some sort of reckless train surfer but that could not be further from the truth.
"He was a profoundly talented and creative mind."
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The family said he had gone to the prestigious Lambda and the Rada drama schools and was planning to play the "lead role in an upcoming short film and some advertising work."
Haddon-Cave was born in the capital and lived in Clerkenwell, Central London near his family.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bolster was a third-year student in countryside management and conservation at Aberystwyth University and grew up in County Cork, Ireland.
The inquest continues.