The mystery surrounding William Chapman’s passing inside a tiger enclosure is slowly becoming clearer.
Shortly after his mother’s blog post about him came to light, coroners spoke about the events that led to his passing, including his history of mental illness.
His family had “expressed a number of concerns” about him, an inquest heard on Thursday, October 15.
Highlights
- William Chapman, 24, climbed two fences to enter a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
- The opening of his inquest at Doncaster Coroner's Court was on Thursday, October 15.
- Coroners spoke about his history of mental illness and previous diagnoses.
- A neighbor also spoke about the victim during the hearing.
The mystery surrounding William Chapman’s passing inside a tiger enclosure is slowly becoming clearer
Trigger warning: this article contains graphic details that may be distressing to some.
William Chapman, 24, had climbed two fences to jump into the “Land of the Tigers” exhibit at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster, northern England, on October 10.
Before he was fatally mauled, the former child actor uploaded a video of himself after climbing into the enclosure.
William climbed two fences and entered the tiger enclosure, suffering “multiple traumatic injuries”
The tiger was seen lying on a raised wooden platform in his video, and William was heard breathing heavily inside the tiger pen.
“Oh my god,” onlookers were heard saying.
“Stop being naughty,” the victim told the Amur tiger named Altai before it pounced on him.
“He was approached by the tiger, and the ensuing physical contact between the tiger and Mr Chapman led to him sustaining multiple traumatic injuries which rapidly led to his de*th,” Coroner's officer Caitlin Brookes said during the inquest at Doncaster Coroner's Court.
The inquest heard that William was under adult mental health services in Doncaster but was “highly functioning and independent with no care requirements.”
A neighbor spoke about William being “very polite” and “lovely” during the hearing
Born in Chichester, West Sussex, William was a self-employed online trader, living in Doncaster at the time of the fatal attack.
Josh, 24, lived in the same building as William and described him as a “very polite,” “well-spoken,” and “lovely man.”
“He'd always have a laugh and a joke. He was quite well kept; he'd look after himself physically,” Josh said at the hearing.
William was a big Formula 1 fan, and could “talk for hours about his F1 if he could,” he added.
William had a history of mental illness and was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia, Senior coroner Nicola Mundy told the hearing.
He had suffered previous bouts of psychosis, and his family had concerns about his contact with Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Trust, which oversees mental health services in the area.
The trust has launched an investigation following his passing.
The inquest heard about William’s history of mental illness and how the family raised concerns in the past
“His family have expressed a number of concerns in relation to his contact with mental health services leading up to his de*th,” said one of the coroners.
Loved ones remembered him as “a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved – and William loved them back,” they added.
The family chose not to attend the hearing on Thursday morning, but it was confirmed that they were aware of the investigation.
Further proceedings in the case were adjourned until 18 March 2027.
William’s mom previously wrote about her son being “passionate about acting”
Shortly after William’s passing, his mother’s 2014 blog post resurfaced, sharing glimpses of her son’s experience as a child actor.
She said he was “passionate about acting and drama” and joined a performing arts school, the Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, at the age of four.
As a child, William appeared in the ITV production May Contain Nuts, which also starred Shirley Henderson, best known for playing the ghost of Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films.
William also played the character of Edward Jenner in the BBC drama series True Stories.
His mother recalled his audition for May Contain Nuts in her blog post, saying he was “only about 5 then.”
He was “unburdened by the nerves he can sometimes suffer from these days. He seemed to relax and thoroughly enjoy himself.”
“Rest in Peace young man,” one commented online
