A bricklayer died from catastrophic spinal injuries after his friend pushed him from a 12ft-high golf driving range bay in a drunken prank.

Conner Groom fell from a booth at Topgolf in Chigwell, Essex, during a work Christmas party on Dec 21 2021.

The 22-year-old was pushed by a close friend but his grieving relatives told police they did not want the man to be prosecuted over the death.

The friend was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm without intent following the incident, but the charges were later dropped.

Essex Coroner’s Court heard Mr Groom went head-first over the edge of the safety net below the bays of the first floor of the driving range and died five weeks later from a spinal injury.

The inquest heard Mr Groom and his friends had been drinking throughout the evening before they arrived at Topgolf.

After they began their session, the friends started jokingly pushing each other on to the safety nets, the inquest heard.

The group were warned repeatedly by staff to stop, and they apologised and said they “wouldn’t do it again”.

However, a short while later Mr Groom’s friend ran up and pushed him, but instead of falling on to the net like his friends, he went over the edge and fell head-first to the ground.

‘Plainly seen as a joke’

Detective Inspector Lydia George, from Essex Police, told the inquest how officers had taken statements from multiple people at the scene and reviewed CCTV footage of the incident.

She said: “All of the [footage] shows them in good spirits and no signs of animosity.

“A number of times it shows the friends trying to push each other into the safety netting. It was plainly seen as a joke.”

The man who ended up pushing Mr Groom to his death was not involved in the previous pushing incidents, the detective said.