A man was arrested on suspicion of murder after trying to save a Welsh woman who died after being crushed by a wardrobe. Hotel guest Wayne Kenny, 46, says he doesn't regret trying to help after 21-year-old Chloe Haynes was found dead in her room at the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool city centre by her friend in the early hours of September 10.
Chloe had been staying there with a colleague after travelling from Pwllheli in north Wales for a night out. Wayne said he tried to give the young woman CPR after hearing a 'commotion' near the door of his room.
Merseyside Police are now treating the death as "accidental" and said "there were no suspicious circumstances." The force had arrested Chloe's friend along with two other hotel guests - who did not know her - on suspicion of murder before they were later released with no further action taken.
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Speaking to the ECHO, Wayne said he heard a "commotion near his door" that morning and noticed the door was open to another room. He said: "I was staying at the Adelphi and I got up in the morning and at first I heard the commotion outside the door and heard some guy say 'she's not breathing' and I thought 'did I hear that right then?'.
"So I got dressed and that as I was going to go out with my boys. I had a day out planned for me and the two boys. I came out of the room and as I walked past the door was open."
The hotel guest said another man was attempting to give CPR but he felt he was better able to help, adding: "I have had some experience, but not fully medically trained obviously. I went in and I tried to give Chloe CPR. I think what I am struggling with is the fact I have done that now knowing she had been dead for hours. I had no idea."
Speaking previously, Chloe's mum Nicola Williams said that by midnight Chloe was drunk and her friend took her back to her room to sleep it off before they went back out. At some point during the early hours, it is thought Chloe opened the door of the wardrobe, perhaps mistaking it for the exit or toilet door, at which point the heavy piece of furniture collapsed onto her.
Chloe was found when her friend returned and found her body under the wardrobe, and rushed out of the room to call for help. Wayne told the ECHO he carried on giving CPR under the instructions of a 999 operator until paramedics came.
Once emergency services arrived officers thanked him and told him to return to his room, after which point Wayne had a knock on the door from police. Wayne said: "I went back to my room and I started to get ready. I got in touch with the boys to go out for the day.
"The police knocked and said 'you are the guy that was in the room a minute ago?' I said yes, absolutely and he said 'right you're under arrest' and I said for what? And he said 'for murder.' I said 'are you serious?' and he said 'yes, absolutely'."
The 46-year-old was taken to custody where he says he was told to strip and put on a paper suit in a "freezing" cell and "interrogated". Wayne said: "I feel bad talking about what I went through because I haven't lost my life. But yeah, they took nail clippings, I had hardly any nails as I was just biting away at them but they were adamant in getting them. They took a bit of my hair and swabs, fingerprints."
The dad claims that when in the police station, a custody attendant told him he could "get life." Wayne said: "He said to me 'you committed the murder didn't you?' and I said 'I have come in accused of it'."
He added: "As you can imagine, when he had left, I was thinking could I get accused for something I haven't done, could they make a mistake? To be thinking that for 10 hours was hard work. I think, because what he had also done by talking about it in the hallway, there were other people in custody and they were shouting 'wait till you get to prison'."
Wayne, who has also been let go from his agency work, said he doesn't regret trying to help Chloe, and his thoughts are with her family. He said: "I keep seeing her face a lot. In my dreams she comes alive and I get her back and she comes back. I keep having the same dream."
Chloe's mum previously said: "When the police came [the men] had to be taken away for questioning. It did sting when we read they had been arrested, they had tried to help her."
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: “In the first 24 hours of an investigation it is essential all evidence is gathered. In this investigation the circumstances were not clear so we had to be guided by golden hour principles which includes the immediate collection of evidence to ascertain what has taken place.
“As soon as it became apparent that there were no suspicious circumstances the three men were all released without further action taken. At this moment in time we have not received a complaint and as such it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
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