The mother of the deceased asked for a new inquest, saying that there had been insufficient enquiry. He was an adult suffering Asperger’s syndrome and other difficulties, but had sought and been given excess prescriptions of fentanyl a drug to control bowel pain. The coroner had been unable to find an explanation for how he had been able to build up high concentrations of the drug when he had used only slow release patches. Warnings as to the dangers of the excess use of the patches came to light after the inquest.
Held: Another inquest should take place: ‘The defendant identified the central question, namely how the deceased came to have such a high concentration of fentanyl in his blood, but failed to investigate the answer to it, apparently on the basis that it could not be answered, save by making the assumption that the deceased had somehow come into possession of an additional supply of fentanyl transdermal patches from some other and unknown source. But as was forcefully submitted on behalf of the claimant, there was no evidential basis for such an assumption.’ In the light of the new evidence available as to the use of the drug, there was also a proper wider and public interest in an exploration of the issues raised.
Owen J, Toulson LJ
[2010] EWHC 931 (Admin), [2010] Inquest LR 80
Bailii
Coroners Act 1988 13
England and Wales
Citing:
Cited – Bloom v HM Assistant Deputy Coroner for the Northern District of London and Another Admn 20-Dec-2004
The deceased had gone to hospital and was diagnosed as having a kidney stone. As it was removed there was evidence of infection. She declined and was transferred to the local NHS hospital in intensive care. She died and a post-mortem identified . .
Cited – Regina v HM Coroner, Lincoln, ex parte Hay 19-Feb-1987
. .
Cited – Regina v North Humberside and Scunthorpe Coroner ex parte Jamieson CA 27-Apr-1994
The deceased prisoner had hanged himself. He had been a known suicide risk, and his brother said that the authorities being so aware, the death resulted from their lack of care. The inquest heard in full the circumstannces leading up to the death, . .
Cited – Regina v Inner West London Coroner Ex Parte Dallaglio, and Ex Parte Lockwood Croft CA 16-Jun-1994
A coroner’s comment that the deceased’s relative was ‘unhinged’ displayed a bias which was irreparable. ‘The description ‘apparent bias’ traditionally given to this head of bias is not entirely apt, for if despite the appearance of bias the court is . .
Cited – Middleton, Regina (on the Application of) v Coroner for the Western District of Somerset HL 11-Mar-2004
The deceased had committed suicide in prison. His family felt that the risk should have been known to the prison authorities, and that they had failed to guard against that risk. The coroner had requested an explanatory note from the jury.
Cited – HM Coroner for the Eastern District of London, Regina (On the Application of) v Sutovic Admn 31-Jul-2009
The deceased had died in Serbia, but was buried in Acton. A second inquest had been ordered on the request of the respondent, and an exhumation licence granted for the purposes of a second post mortem examination. The respondent had refused her . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Coroners
Updated: 01 November 2021; Ref: scu.408663