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Inquest into chess star's death Open verdict on chess star death
(about 7 hours later)
An inquest is being held into the death of a chess prodigy who fell from a hotel window in the Czech Republic. An open verdict has been recorded at an inquest into the death of a chess prodigy who fell from a hotel window in the Czech Republic.
Jessica Gilbert, 19, from Surrey, fell from the eight-floor of the Hotel Labe in Pardubice during a European competition last year. Jessica Gilbert, 19, from Surrey, fell from the eighth floor of the hotel during a competition last year.
Her death was weeks before Ms Gilbert's father Ian Gilbert was due to face trial on five counts of raping her over a period of five years. Her death came weeks before her father Ian Gilbert was due to face trial on five counts of raping her over a period of five years. He was later cleared.
He was cleared of the charges by a jury at Guildford Crown Court. The inquest took place at Epsom Coroners' Court.
Ms Gilbert was sharing a room with a friend while competing at the Czech Open tournament in July 2006. It heard how Miss Gilbert was two-and-a-half times the legal drink-drive alcohol limit when she died from injuries consistent with a fall from a great height.
Pills overdose She had previously made attempts at suicide and was on anti-depressants at the time of her death, the inquest was told.
Czech police said the two had been drinking heavily and while the younger girl was ill in the bathroom, Ms Gilbert disappeared and was later found on the ground outside. Her mother Dr Angela Gilbert gave evidence that the teenager was "absolutely terrified of" her father.
During her father's court case the jury heard evidence that Ms Gilbert twice got drunk and told friends her father had raped her. She said her daughter was not a heavy drinker but that she had confessed to drinking in secret.
On the first occasion she scaled a clock tower and threatened to jump off, and on the second she woke the next day and took an overdose of 200 pills. Dr Angela Gilbert (centre) said Jessica drank in secret
She later recorded a police video interview in which she claimed her father raped her in her room at the former family home in Woldingham, Surrey repeatedly when she was between the ages of eight and 13. On New Year's Eve 2003 the teenager became drunk and climbed Croydon's clock tower, alleging to friends that she had been raped by her father, the inquest heard.
But Mr Gilbert denied any sexual activity had ever taken place and said his daughter may have concocted the allegations in revenge after a falling out between them led to the break-up of the family. Dr Gilbert said: "When she drank she developed feelings of self-loathing and self-destructiveness."
He was found not guilty last December of raping her and further sex offences against other people following a month-long trial. She told the inquest that she had dropped her daughter off to fly out from Heathrow for the Czech chess tournament in July 2006.
The inquest into her death will take place before the Surrey Coroner Michael Burgess at the old Epsom Magistrates' Court . "She put her arms around me and smiled and said that she loved me and everything would be all right," Dr Gilbert said.
"She looked relaxed and serene. That was the last time I saw her."