Worthing Gazette 18 September 1935
"Beach Sleeper Drowned" Tragedy at Worthing. Caught by Very High Tide.
A well-known local figure Percy Richard Collins was found drowned on Worthing beach on Sunday morning, and at the inquest which the West Sussex Coroner (Mr F W Butler) held on Monday, evidence was given of how he had recently been sleeping out under the Bandstand. A journeyman carpenter by trade, he was 49 years of age. Details of the deceased's war service which led to his suffering from neurasthenia were given to the coroner by his sister Sarah Louise Collins, 11 Heene Road, Worthing. Her brother had not had a fixed abode lately she said, but they did not know that until after his death. he had told her he was in lodgings, and she thought he must have said that because he did not wish to worry his mother.
During the War, he served in the Royal Sussex and Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiments, from which he was invalided out. He was a prisoner of war for 14 months at Dusseldorf and suffered great hardship. He was honourably discharged and after that was sent to Hellingly Hospital for treatment for neurasthenia. After leaving there, he went to live with his mother but had not been there recently.
"He had brainstorms which were terrible at times" said witness "We had no idea that he was sleeping out or we should have been very worried. He was devoted to his mother and would go through anything rather than worry her." Asked if he had threatened suicide, she said he had never done so.
Police Constable Lester said he said Collins in Montague Street at about 10.50 on Saturday night. He was standing on a corner with a vacant look that he sometimes had. On Sunday morning, witness was on duty on the Parade. The tide was then exceptionally high and rough, coming right up under the Bandstand. Witness knew that deceased sometimes slept under the Bandstand and the tide was then high enough to cover a man lying on the beach. William Searle, a boatman and fisherman who found the body on Sunday morning said it was lying on the seaweed two groynes to the east of the Bandstand. Police Constable Thompson said the body was 35 yards south of the Parade. It was fully dressed except for jacket and cap. Collins had been sleeping out for the last two months at least, sometimes under the Bandstand. On the body he found a savings bank book showing a balance of £14 11s 4d, a pension book, a watch which had stopped at 1.26, some keys and a 10s note.
Dr W O Pitt said that death was due to drowning. "I should imagine he got trapped" said the doctor. "He may have got a little stunned by his head being hit on one of the supports of the Bandstand".
The Coroner; "There is no suggestion that the man contemplated suicide and I think in the circumstances I should be justified in returning a verdict that he met his death by an accident."
The Coroner recorded a verdict that the deceased was drowned in the sea, caught by a very high tide while asleep under the Bandstand and that it was an accident.