AN OXFORD man died in Thailand after he was beaten around the head by a French teenager, an inquest heard yesterday.

Martin Quinn, who spent six months of the year in Thailand, had been staying in Koh Samui when he was attacked outside a shop.

Mr Quinn, from Ferry Road, Marston, fell to the floor and hit his head on the ground, leaving him disorientated and bleeding from the mouth. He died in hospital four days later.

Although the suspect who attacked him initially handed himself into the police he later absconded and has never been found.

An inquest into Mr Quinn’s death at Oxford Coroner’s Court heard the steel rigger died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head.

Although it was initially suspected that he had injured himself when he fell, the location of cuts and bruises on the top of his head, as well as around his eye and chin, appeared to have been the result of an attack.

While in hospital doctors found swelling on his brain and although they tried to reduce this he died on January 13, 2009.

A statement given to Thai police by Mr Quinn’s friend Peter Bradwell said that Mr Quinn had been standing outside Mr Bradwell’s shop when he was attacked. “Mr Martin and a foreigner had a row, Mr Martin was punched and fell to the ground,” the statement said.

Oxfordshire Coroner Darren Salter said he did not have enough evidence to return a verdict of unlawful killing for the death of Mr Quinn and returned an open verdict.