Eddie Newton’s son died in 40C UAE desert hike, coroner says

The son of ex-Chelsea midfielder Eddie Newton ignored pleas from his wife to not go on what turned out to be a fatal 40C (104F) desert hike, a coroner said.

Rescue teams found the body of Cassius Newton, 34, in the mountainous region of Wadi Naqab, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on 18 July – hours after the couple last spoke, an inquest was told.

His friend, Aran Martinson, from Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire, also died in the sweltering heat after they set off at about 07:00 local time (04:00 BST).

Area coroner Michelle Brown ruled their deaths were the result of misadventure and said: “This was an intentional trip with unintended consequences.”

Newton met Martinson through their work at a “global company” and they both lived in the luxury resort of Ras Al Khaimah, to the north-east of Dubai.

He called his wife at about 02:00 to inform her of their planned hike and “she asked him not to go”, Essex Coroner’s Court heard.

“She knew it would be very hot and it can get to about 40C, and the feeling is higher because it’s in the canyons,” Brown said.

“He was also out the night before and wouldn’t have had much sleep, and she didn’t think he would have charged his phone enough.”