Hard Platts hanging victim ‘watched by aliens’

Sarunas Grigas (24), of Rupert Street, Nelson, was found hanged in woods on the Hard Platts in March, hours after being returned to the home he shared with his brother by police who found him on a canal bridge near B&Q, Brierfield, staring into the water.

East Lancashire Coroner Mr Richard Taylor read a statement from Mr Grigas’s brother, Tomas, which said the pair had come to the UK in 2010.

His brother had spoken about being watched by aliens but said it did not matter when pressed on the matter. Tomas said Sarunas had been acting strangely on the day he was brought home by police but he never believed his brother would take his own life.

In another statement, a friend of the dead man, Vidia Akzeniate, described him as being “paranoid” and believed his computer was being bugged.

Det, Insp. James Simm said Mr Grigas had told police who found him on the canal bridge he had been having trouble sleeping and looking into the water helped him to overcome this.

In the woods, he had climbed a tree and tied his hands loosely with a shoe lace before shuffling along a branch and hanging himself. He was confident there was no third party involvement.

Mr Taylor reached the conclusion Mr Grigas took his own life.