Young couple were found hanged from same tree with ‘towards eternity’ and ‘4 Ever’ spray painted in woods, inquest hears

• Bodies of Charlie Eccleston and Zaiga Gravenieks found in Hertfordshire in 2017
• Cocaine and cannabis traces were in their bodies, an inquest heard today

A young couple were found hanged from the same tree in the woods which had ‘towards eternity’ and ‘4 Ever’ spray painted on it, an inquest heard today.

The bodies of Charlie Eccleston, 19, and Zaiga Gravenieks, 20, were discovered by a police dog in a secluded part of a wood at Shenley in Hertfordshire on the morning of November 5, 2017.

The pair, who had been missing since Halloween, had been tracked to the area by Zaiga’s mobile phone, the hearing at Hatfield heard.

Zaiga’s arm was cradled around Charlie’s shoulder and emotional messages reading ‘Towards eternity’ and ‘4 Ever’ had been spray painted on a heart symbol.

They had bought paint and a rope in Borehamwood before a taxi dropped them off near the woodland.

The bodies of Charlie Eccleston, 19, and Zaiga Gravenieks, 20, were discovered by a police dog in a secluded part of a wood at Shenley in Hertfordshire on the morning of November 5, 2017 

Woodland in Shenley, Hertfordshire where the bodies of Mr Eccleston and Ms Gravenieks were found on November 5, 2017

Post-mortem examinations found they died from asphyxia. Cocaine and cannabis traces were in their bodies.

In a statement read to the senior Hertfordshire coroner Geoffrey Sullivan, Charlie’s mother Jo said: ‘They lived together, died together and at their request were buried together.’

She said Charlie, from Borehamwood, had struggled with his mental health from the age of 12. He had shown signs of psychosis and had voices telling him to kill himself.

He was a talented musician who sang and played guitars in a metal band called Desert Smoker.

Ms Eccleston said: ‘Although he had no love for himself he adored Zaige. Zaige was a talented artist. She dreamt of being a tattoo artist.

She was stunning beautiful. You could always seen her love for Charlie.’

Zaiga, from Harpenden, had been diagnosed with anorexia and Asperger’s, her mother Ausma said in a statement. 

She had been studying music at Bedford college but became too unwell to continue.

‘She and Charlie were deeply in love,’ she added.

Evidence from Professor Hilary McCallion, who examined the way the couple were treated by mental health professionals, is due to be heard tomorrow.

The inquest is due to last three days. 

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