The family appealed against an open verdict. Her son was found hanged at school. The coroner felt unable to be sure that he had committed suicide. He had been looking forward to a new job as a theatre technician.
Held: There was evidence available now which had not been available at the inquest which undermined the understanding of the boy’s expectations, and might in fact be excluded from the drama club for drinking. It was also now doubted whether the rope by which he had been found hanging could have sufficed to cause his death by hanging. There was sufficient cause to find an: ‘insufficiency of inquiry, the discovery of new facts or evidence or otherwise’ and a new inquest was required.
Judges:
Kay LJ, Holland J
Citations:
[2005] EWHC 660 (Admin)
Links:
Statutes:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Citing:
Cited – In re Rapier (Deceased) QBD 1988
A young prisoner had been found dead in his cell hanging. A report suggested that he may have been sniffing solvents. The coroner himself initiated proceedings both under the Coroners’ Act and for judicial review to quash the inquisition over which . .
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 – Sacker, Regina (on the Application of) v Coroner for the County of West Yorkshire HL 11-Mar-2004
The deceased committed suicide in prison. Her family sought to have added to the verdict the words ‘contributed by neglect’ and complained that the inquest had not provided a full and proper investigation of the death.
Held: The Act needed to . .
Cited – Regina v North Humberside and Scunthorpe Coroner ex parte Jamieson QBD 12-Jul-1993
A prisoner had hanged himself after being left unsupervised in a single cell. He was a known suicide risk, but the Coroner directed the jury not to return a verdict which included any reference to lack of care.
Held: A coroner was free not to . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Coroners
Updated: 29 June 2022; Ref: scu.224528