Couple Drowned In Swimming Pool At A Five-Star Country House Hotel

A married father-of-two was found drowned in a swimming pool alongside his girlfriend at a luxury hotel where they had been celebrating her 22nd birthday.

Komba Kpakiwa, 31, and nursing student Josephine Newahun Foday were found floating face down in the water at the Down Hall Country House Hotel in Hatfield, Essex on Saturday evening.

Miss Foday's grandmother Theresa Farma confirmed that the pair were in a relationship and that Mr Kpakiwa, from Erith in Kent, had taken her to the hotel as a surprise.

Mrs Farma, 61, paid tribute to her 'loving granddaughter' and told of how she had been excited to go away to the luxury hotel.

The brief hearing heard that the pair were found floating face down at about 7.30pm in the water. Efforts to save them failed. Witnesses, including hotel guests, had seen them alive in swimming gear 15 minutes earlier.

Essex Police said that a provisional post-mortem examination found that their deaths were consistent with drowning and are not being treated as suspicious. 

Chris Falcus, manager of Down Hall Hotel, said: 'We wish to reiterate our condolences to the friends and families of the lady and gentleman concerned.'Both myself and the team at the hotel are deeply upset by what has happened.

Detectives are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths, but have described them as ‘very unusual’. They have ordered toxicology tests to see if the couple had been drinking or taking drugs. A police spokesman said: ‘Detectives are continuing to investigate the circumstances leading up to their deaths.

‘But they are treating them as non-suspicious.’