Quantity surveyor, 52, is named as the second man to die at Canary Wharf in the space of 24 hours

Married father quantity surveyor, 52, is named as the second man to die at Canary Wharf in the space of 24 hours after he sent a text message and then fell from the top floor of a shopping centre

  • Richard Charles Gent fell from the top floor of shopping centre at Canary Wharf
  • Two-minute walk away from where man fell and died less than 24 hours earlier
  • Mr Gent, from Colchester, Essex, was employed at Canary Wharf Contractors Ltd
  • He went up the escalator and was seen jumping over guard rail, inquest heard

A quantity surveyor has been named as the second man to die at London’s Canary Wharf in the space of 24 hours.

Richard Charles Gent, 52, fell from the top floor of a shopping centre at the east London landmark last Tuesday morning, an inquest heard.

The manager of Itsu restaurant in Cabot Place mall told MailOnline that the man appeared to send a text message on his phone before falling to his death.

It was just a two-minute walk away from Canary Wharf station where mental health patient Osazuwa Otote fell to his death less than 24 hours earlier.

Father-of-one Mr Gent, from Colchester, Essex, was employed as a commercial executive at Canary Wharf Contractors Ltd, according to his LinkedIn account, and worked on projects worth up to £100 million. He leaves a wife and daughter.

Richard Charles Gent, 52, (pictured) fell from the top floor of a shopping centre at the east London landmark last Tuesday morning, an inquest heard

Police pictured at the scene on Tuesday January 8  where Mr Gent died after falling from height at Canary Wharf Shopping Centre, an inquest was told

Police pictured at the scene on Tuesday January 8  where Mr Gent died after falling from height at Canary Wharf Shopping Centre, an inquest was told

He was seen exiting the Jubilee line underground shortly after 9am on Tuesday January 8th before making his way to the shopping area of Canada Square, called Cabot Place, an inquest opening at Poplar Coroner’s Court was told.

Mr Gent went up the escalator and was seen jumping over a guard rail, Coroner’s Officer Sarah Morgan told the brief hearing.

He was declared dead at the scene and identified by police using his driving licence, the inquest heard.

Edwin Buckett, Assistant Coroner for Inner East London, said Mr Gent died of multiple injuries caused by a ‘blunt force trauma’.

Mr Gent was seen exiting the Jubilee line underground shortly after 9am on Tuesday January 8th before making his way to the shopping area of Canada Square, called Cabot Place (pictured: police at the incident at the entrance of Cabot Place East), an inquest opening at Poplar Coroner's Court was told

Mr Gent was seen exiting the Jubilee line underground shortly after 9am on Tuesday January 8th before making his way to the shopping area of Canada Square, called Cabot Place (pictured: police at the incident at the entrance of Cabot Place East), an inquest opening at Poplar Coroner’s Court was told

Mr Gent went up the escalator at the shopping centre and was seen jumping over a guard rail, Coroner's Officer Sarah Morgan told the brief hearing

Mr Gent went up the escalator at the shopping centre and was seen jumping over a guard rail, Coroner’s Officer Sarah Morgan told the brief hearing

Mr Gent was the second person to fall to his death in Canary Wharf within 24 hours.

On the afternoon of Monday January 7th, Osazuwa Otote, originally from Benin, west Africa, died on the Jubilee Line Underground platform after clambering up a glass balustrade.

The 32-year-old mental health patient had broken free from his carer, Poplar Coroner’s Court heard last Friday.

Paramedics tried to revive Mr Otote, who was known as Phillip, but he was declared dead at the scene from head and throat injuries.

A full inquest into Mr Gent’s death is expected to take place in May.

A spokesman for the Canary Wharf Group paid tribute to Mr Gent today and said he will be ‘sadly missed.’

They said: ‘It is with the greatest sadness that we confirm that Richard Gent tragically died at Canary Wharf last week.

‘Richard worked with Canary Wharf Contractors for 21 years; he was a highly valued colleague and an integral part of our success. Richard will be sadly missed by all his friends and colleagues at Canary Wharf.

‘Our thoughts are with his family at this very difficult time and we will be doing everything we can to support them.’

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