DVD repair theory on son's death

A grieving Black Country father today said his " inquisitive" teenage son may have been killed by an electric shock while trying to mend a DVD player.

Patrick Heeks, aged 16, was found by his father, Les, as he returned from a night shift as a security guard. He believes his son, who liked dismantling and repairing electrical equipment, had been mending a DVD player.

Mr Heeks, of Thorns Road, Quarry Bank, said Patrick is thought to have left a live wire for the DVD player plugged in at the wall and came into contact with it as he came down from the bathroom and went to collect his mobile phone.

Patrick was a pupil at Earls High School, Halesowen, and had just finished his GCSEs. He was reunited with his father in October after eight years and they had been living in Quarry Bank for eight months. Mr Heeks, who works at at Westley's in Old Hill, called his son by his nickname 'treaky', a mixture of his name and cheeky.

He found his son's body on Sunday morning.

He said: "We had Christmas together, New Year, both our birthdays and a fathers' day which has left me with some great memories. We may not have seen each other for eight years but when he moved back in it was like we had never been apart. He was unique in every way, a loving son who was inquistive, a cheeky young lad and always happy."

Schoolfriend Dalton Russell, 15, said:"He always had time for his friends no matter what he was doing and is going to be missed by everyone."

The teenager was unsure about what to do after GCSEs but unknown to him his older brother, Jason, had arranged a job interview on Monday for him to become a welder.

A special assembly was held at school on Monday and vice-principal Richard Jacobs said they plan to meet his parents to discuss a possible tribute to Patrick and have also sent flowers with a condolence message. He said:"He was well thought of and a well-liked young man. He was exceptionally bright and had a confidence that enabled him to plough his own furrow rather than follow the herd."

Black Country Coroner Robin Balmain opened and adjourned an inquest yesterday. Funeral details have not been released but his father said it will be open to all who want to attend. Police say they are not treating the death as suspicious.