Canterbury University hall where student was found dead won't be used for first years in 2020

Mason Pendrous' body was found late last month.
Mason Pendrous' body was found late last month. Photo credit: Newshub.

The Canterbury University hall of residence where a student was found dead will not be used for first year students next year.

Mason Pendrous' body was found in his room in the Sonoda Village on September 23, believed to have been laying there undiscovered for a number of weeks.

The University of Canterbury on Thursday confirmed first year students won't be using the hall next year.

It has not yet been confirmed what Sonoda will be used for instead of accommodation.

On Wednesday, Pendrous' stepfather said his stepson's body was only found after a fellow student climbed up over the roof to look into his room.

It was initially believed that his death went unnoticed for around two months, but since then friends have said they had contact from him around a month before his body was found.

Speaking to Radio New Zealand's Checkpoint, Pendrous' stepfather Anthony Holland said the family first thought the teen hadn't been in touch due to a busy student life. 

"To the best of my knowledge, he climbed up over the roof and around, and realised something was wrong, and contacted security, who entered the room," he told Checkpoint.

A former High Court judge has now been put in charge of investigating the death.

The investigation aims to establish the circumstances around Pendrous' death, whether any concerns about his welfare were made to the university at any time and whether there was a response to any such concerns.

Newshub.