Fatal Hyatt balcony fall recreated as police appeal for information
Mum-of-two Jodie Lovell was in the prime of her life when she fell to her death from a five-star Sydney hotel balcony. Police have now recreated her fall as they try to piece together her final moments.
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A woman who plunged to her death from the balcony of a five-star hotel in Sydney’s CBD has been revealed as mother of two Jodie Lovell who was “at the prime of her life”, police said.
Detectives appealing for help from the public have also tried to recreate the woman’s fatal fall using a test dummy as “every investigative line” was being explored.
Ms Lovell, 45, from Kareela in Sydney’s south had been out in the city with her 48-year-old male partner, from Panania, on May 22 when they had returned to their 10th-floor suite at the Hyatt Regency on Sussex St.
Police believe the pair had been arguin
g over text messages found on Ms Lovell’s phone.
The man is alleged to have told officers he locked her on the balcony around 8pm and when he returned a short time later, she was gone.
The woman’s body was found on the first-floor rooftop.
“If you’ve seen anything that may help with our investigation can you please come forward,” Sydney City police boss Superintendent Gavin Wood said.
“The appeal is made with sincerity, the young lady was at the prime of her life, the 45-year-old woman with two young daughters. It’s tragic circumstances.”
He said anyone in the “footprint” of the hotel or its surrounds that night who saw or heard anything should contact police.
“They had been out that night in the city and they have come back to the apartment. Now, the partner is a person we have spoken to and he has assisted us with our inquiries to date,” he said.
“We are keeping an extremely open mind about the circumstances and the causation.
“We owe it to the daughters, we owe it to her family and friends and to the community to make sure we have exhausted every investigative line.”
The Daily Telegraph understands the woman had a history of mental health concerns.
This week, detectives returned to the hotel room with a dummy, attempting to recreate the fatal fall a number of times. Officers also abseiled down the side of the building to examine where and how the dummy had landed.
Police are harvesting CCTV vision from across the CBD.
“We had forensic police again at the scene yesterday doing forensic examinations on the scene, which include a lot of CCTV coverage,” Supt Wood said.
One of Ms Lovell’s close friends paid tribute to “an amazing lady, mum and family day care educator”.
“She had so many friends, she was really lovely,” the woman said.
Originally published as Fatal Hyatt balcony fall recreated as police appeal for information