The tragic death of their "larger than life" son has left a Ramsden Bellhouse couple devastated.

Scott Witton, 24, died in Sydney late last Friday night after falling from the sixth floor window of his harbour-side flat in what Australian police are treating as an accident.

Scott, a young, dynamic entrepreneur, had just signed one of the biggest deals of his career to secure the future of his fledgling Sydney based computer company.

Afterwards he had phoned his family to tell them the news before going out to celebrate what should have been one of the happiest days of his life.

Hours later the family heard the terrible news he had fallen to his death.

Since then his parents Ken and Lynne Witton and his brother and sister, Ross, 21, and Holly, 17, have been staggered by the flood of calls, flowers and letters of condolence they have received at their Church Road home.

Ken, 54, a sales executive, said: "We never realised how popular he was. He was a real charmer and always had enough time to stop and talk to people.

"He loved coming back home and whenever he did the phone would never stop ringing for him.

"We have taken strength and comfort from talking to people who knew him, despite all the upset there has been a lot of joy in the stories people have been recalling about Scott."

A talented horse rider and an enthusiastic water skier, Scott grew up in Ramsden Bellhouse. He went to Mayflower High School in Stock Road, Billericay.

Scott left the school with one GCSE, but once he had made the connection with the computer technology business he never looked back, establishing an impressive reputation.

He made the move to Australia two and a half years ago and six months ago decided to break out on his own and set up a specialised computer company with two business partners.

Ken said: "He was doing immensely well in Australia and was on the threshold of something big.We were very proud of him because he had got to where he was by a determination and desire to be the best.

"They had actually signed a major $300,000 contract that day with Sydney Council to provide them with computer systems for knowledge management and knowledge storage."

Lynne Witton, who received a Mother's Day card from Scott the day he died, said: "I spoke to him just before he went out on the night he died and he was completely ecstatic.

"It was not the biggest deal he had ever signed, but it was for his own company and he was over the moon.

"This is a tragedy we will never get over."

The family are still waiting for the body to return to this country before making any final arrangements for Scott's funeral.

They hope to hold the funeral at Basildon and District Crematorium in Bowers Gifford.

Tragic fall: Scott Witton who fell to his death in a tragic accident in Sydney last week.

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