THE mother and wife of a soldier have spoken of their heartache after hearing they will never know what led to his death.

David Grout was involved in an altercation hours after returning from Afghanistan and died seven days later.

An inquest heard that trouble flared between the Royal Signaller and Paul Gibson outside Eston Institute, where he had been drinking with his mother and stepfather, in May last year.

Witnesses told Teesside Coroner’s Court the pair appeared to be head-to-head and arguing before a single punch was thrown by Mr Gibson.

Solicitor Simon Walker, who was driving along Eston High Street, near Middlesbrough, said he saw Mr Gibson hit Mr Grout, who collapsed.

He said: “The body language made it obvious that they were arguing – they were in each others’ faces.

“I saw a rapid movement from the gentleman wearing white (Mr Gibson). If it had happened one or two seconds earlier, I would have seen everything, but as it happened, it was in my peripheral vision.”

He said he could see there was something seriously wrong by the way the 22-year-old was lying, and called 999.

Mr Grout was taken to hospital and kept in an induced coma, but died a week later.

Paul Gibson, 20, of Eston, near Middlesbrough, said he had acted in self-defence and had no idea what started the altercation as he walked past Mr Grout with his cousin Leon Gibson.

He said: “David Grout moved his head back as if to headbutt me, so I hit him. I only did it in self-defence. He hit the ground so hard, it made me feel sick.”

Mr Gibson handed himself in to the police after reading that Mr Grout had been hospitalised.

Asked what had started the confrontation by Mr Grout’s father Colin, he said: “I still do not know what it was about; I have no idea whatsoever.”

Following a police investigation, including studying security camera footage, the Crown Prosecution Service decided there was not enough evidence to bring any charges against Mr Gibson.

Pathologist Nigel Cooper said Mr Grout died of multi-organ failure as a result of a blunt-force head injury.

Coroner Tony Eastwood recorded a narrative verdict that outlined the facts of the hearing.

Speaking outside the court, Mr Grout’s mother, Maureen Harrison, said: “I just feel there is still no closure. There will never be an answer as to why he died. If we knew, then maybe we could start to grieve properly and move on.”

His wife, Kerry, said: “I wanted to be able to tell my son, Harley, why his dad died, but I am not going to be able to do that. We are never going to find out exactly what happened, and that is heartbreaking.”