'The loss of his pal was the catalyst'

A YOUNG RAF technician and talented musician died on exercises in Norway just months after losing a close friend.

- By KIT ROBERTS

Sebastian Kirby, 20, from Rochdale, joined the RAF in 2021 as a communications technician, and in 2023 was deployed in Norway.

An inquest yesterday heard that Mr Kirby, known as Seb to his loved ones, had been out on the town with colleagues before they returned to their hotel in the early hours of December 2, 2023.

The group was described by the hotel receptionist in a police report as having been in good spirits.

But less than 15 minutes after arriving back at his shared room, Mr Kirby was found in the ensuite bathroom after his colleague became concerned that he had been in there a long time.

An officer was called and the two men entered the bathroom, where they found Mr Kirby with a ligature around his neck.

Despite being rushed to St Olaf’s Hospital in Trondheim he died from his injuries on December 3.

The hearing was told that in July of the same year Mr Kirby had lost a close friend, a bereavement which hit him very hard.