A 22-year-old man from North Finchley fell 80ft to his death from the roof of his girlfriend's flat after she refused to let him inside.

Steven White, of Holden Road, North Finchley, had been out drinking with a friend when he tried to climb over the roof to get into the flat in High Road, North Finchley, in the early hours of January 17 this year.

The landscape gardener was rushed to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead where, despite brain surgery and intensive care treatment, he died on January 26.

Garret Reed, from Woodside Park, a friend of Mr White's for seven years, said they had been out drinking together and planned to continue the night at the flat of Siobhan Fox, Mr White's girlfriend. However, she refused to let Mr White in as he had previously damaged her flat when drunk.

"After fruitless attempts at getting in, I said we should go back to my place and he could stay there for the night," said Mr Reed.

As Mr Reed began to walk off, he realised his friend was not following him and had gone round the back of Ms Fox's flat to try and climb in.

"I told him to get down and he said he would be down in a few minutes," he said.

"As I looked up he was just coming off the edge of the roof where the gutter was. I think he clipped the bus stop then landed on the ground."

Recording a verdict of accidental death on Friday last week, Hornsey Coroner Dr William Dolman said: "This is the most appalling series of events no-one could have foreseen the outcome of Steven's attempt to get into the flat."