A man fell to his death from the roof of a Stratford warehouse five days after becoming a father for a second time, an inquest has heard.

Michael McMahon, 32, of Mason Close, Canning Town, died as a result of severe head injuries after falling 25 feet from the roof of the Wanstead Welding Ltd building in Cooks Road, Stratford, on December 30, 2013.

An inquest into his death at Walthamstow Coronors’ Court on Friday revealed that the builder, who had become a dad to a baby girl days earlier on Christmas Eve, died following a suspected armed robbery at a nearby warehouse.

In a statement, Mr McMahon’s girlfriend, Terri Campbell, paid tribute to the dad-of-two.

“He was a devoted father and our children and I loved him very much,” she said. “He was a good family man and was loved by everyone. He was kindhearted. He was always cheerful and larger than life.”

Miss Campbell explained how the couple, who had been together since 2007, had gone out to buy a pram hours before the lethal fall on December 29 that led to her boyfriend’s death and said Mr McMahon “had been his usual cheerful self”.

She added that Mr McMahon went out later that evening but had not told her where he was heading.

Shortly after 9.20pm she was told he had been injured and given directions to his whereabouts by an unidentified man before heading out to find him.

The inquest heard how the police were first alerted to a suspected robbery at another site not far from the Wanstead Welding building after a white van had crashed through a gate and narrowly avoided a security guard at about 9pm.

However, after being unable to find any suspects the police left and only returned after being alerted to reports of an injured man in the Wanstead Welding building at about 10pm.

The inquest heard how emergency services staff found Mr McMohan lying on the ground floor in the warehouse and that his face was covered in dry blood and he appeared agitated.

Miss Campbell and Mr McMahon’s father were also at the scene but were unable to see him until he reached the Royal London Hospital where he died from his injuries.

“I was very upset and I held his hand,” Miss Campbell added in her statement, read out in court.

“The situation was not good and Michael was not going to make it. At 4.15am Michael died and I was shocked and still remain so.”

Senior coroner Nadia Persaud recorded a verdict of accidental death, stating the cause of death as a severe head injury following a fall from the roof.

She said: “He died as a result of an accident. Before I conclude the inquest I would like to pass on my sympathies to Mr Mcmohan’s family.”