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Home Births, ceremonies and deaths Inquest Hearings
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Inquest Hearings

Information about inquests, attendance and inquests and if you are called for jury service

  • Introduction

  • Inquests opening - week beginning Monday 8 August 2022

  • Inquests listed for final hearing - August 2022

  • Inquests listed for final hearing - September 2022

  • What happens

  • Interested Person

  • Remote attendance and Inquests in Writing

  • Jury Service

  • Contact

Introduction

An inquest is a Court hearing that is intended to answer four statutory questions

  • Who was the deceased?
  • When did they die?
  • Where did they die?
  • How did their death come about?

An inquest is not a trial and it does not seek to apportion any criminal blame or civil liability.

An inquest is a fact finding enquiry that simply aims to gather information to allow the Coroner to answer these four questions.

Inquest hearings are open to members of the public and the press to attend. You are welcome to be seated in the public gallery in Court on a first-come first-served basis.

If you are planning to attend an Inquest listed below, could you please either phone – 01823 359271 – or email – coroner@somerset.gov.uk It helps to have an indication of attendance in advance to ensure that we continue to comply with fire regulations and health and safety matters which apply to the court building.

Prior contact does not ‘reserve’ a seat and attendance is purely down to physical attendance on the day.

Inquests opening - week beginning Monday 8 August 2022

OMB = Old Municipal Building, Corporation Street, Taunton TA1 4AQ
OP = Opening
ADJ = Adjournment

Date and timeDeceasedAgeDate of deathPlace of deathType of HearingHeld at
8 August at 9.30amAlfred
Smart
883 August 2022Musgrove Park HospitalOPOMB
8 August at 9.30amChristine
Wootton
5827 July 2022GlastonburyOPOMB
8 August at 9.30amPeter
Cooper
8231 July 2022Musgrove Park HospitalOPOMB
8 August at 9.30amMatthew
Wormleighton
4514 May 2021Yeovil District HospitalADJOMB

 

Inquests listed for final hearing - August 2022

OMB = Old Municipal Building, Corporation Street, Taunton TA1 4AQ

Date and timeDeceasedAgeDate of deathPlace of deathType of hearingHeld at
1 August at 10amTillie-Rose
Farndell
10 weeks25 September 2021Shepton MalletInquest hearingOMB
1 August at 2pmCallum
Diment
2712 April 2022BridgwaterInquest hearingOMB
2 August at 12pmCyril
Cornish
8911 February 2022Burnham-on-SeaInquest hearingOMB
2 August at 2pmMax
Hinde
304 October 2021Burnham-on-SeaInquest hearingOMB
3 August at 12.30pmShaun
Cregan
7713 April 20022TauntonInquest hearingOMB
8 August at 10.30amKayleigh
Harris
231 April 2016Les Menuires, FranceInquest hearingOMB
9 August at 9.30amNeil
McDougall
4323 February 2021FromeInquest hearingOMB
10 August at 10.30amNatalie
Young
9213 April 2022Musgrove Park HospitalInquest hearingOMB
10 August at 2.30pmBrian
Berry
7324 December 2021Musgrove Park Hospital Inquest hearingOMB
12 August at 10amDavid
White
48 29 December 2021ChardInquest hearingOMB
12 August at 12pm Matthew
Dear
3326 February 2022Henstridge
Templecome
Inquest hearingOMB
12 August at 2pm Ashley
Bloodworth
336 November 2021TauntonInquest hearingOMB
15 August at 10.30amViolet
Anker
9116 April 2022BridgwaterInquest hearingOMB
15 August at 1pmJoanne
Whetren
3722 March 2022GlastonburyInquest hearingOMB
15 August at 3pm Kelly
Smith
5011 September 2021Musgrove Park Hospital Inquest hearingOMB
16 August at 10amGeorge
Laverton
10028 April 2022Musgrove Park Hospital Inquest hearingOMB
16 August at 12.30pmGlen
Barton
7122 August 2020Musgrove Park HospitalInquest hearingOMB
17 August at 10amDalius
Jenšauskis
2726 June 2021M5 Northbound
Junctions 25-24
Inquest hearingOMB
17 August at 12.30pmOsiris
Fox
3 days26 October 2021Musgrove Park HospitalInquest hearingOMB
19 August at 10amLinda
Merriman
6522 May 2018Musgrove Park HospitalPre-Inquest Review HearingOMB
22 August at 10.30amNancy
Ford
8728 April 2022Musgrove Park HospitalInquest hearingOMB
22 August at 1pmAntony
Eyles
875 February 2022Yeovil District HospitalInquest hearingOMB
22 August at 3pmGerald
Cook
8230 June 2022St Margaret's HospiceInquest hearingOMB
23 August at 10amTony
Barnes
9221 December 2021FromeInquest hearingOMB
23 August at 12.30pmSarah
Standerwick
4027 October 2018Marmaris, TurkeyInquest hearingOMB
23 August at 3.30pmMichael
Martin
7526 June 2022HighbridgeInquest hearingOMB
24 August at 10.30amEvie
For-Mayor
409 March 2021YeovilInquest hearingOMB
24 August at 1.30pmDavid
Gyorgy
456 January 2022HighbridgeInquest hearingOMB
30 August at 9.30amSheila
Perrott
8516 May 2022Yeovil District HospitalInquest hearingOMB
30 August at 11amWilliam
Harris
846 January 2022Musgrove Park HospitalInquest hearingOMB
30 August at 1pmMargaret
Gosse
8126 July 2020Wincanton Community HospitalInquest hearingOMB
31 August at 12.30pmCaroline
Carrott
565 April 2022WembdonInquest hearingOMB
31 August at 2.30pmPeter
Garman
5925 September 2020Musgrove Park Hospital Inquest hearing OMB

Inquests listed for final hearing - September 2022

OMB = Old Municipal Building, Corporation Street, Taunton TA1 4AQ

Date and timeDeceasedAgeDate of deathPlace of deathType of hearingHeld at
26 September at 10.30amThomas
Wright
203 June 2022Yeovil District HospitalInquest hearingOMB
26 September at 1.30pmAndrew
Eldred-Tyler
4927 April 2022Wincanton Inquest hearingOMB
27 September at 9.30amJames
Goodman
2821 February 2022Southmead HospitalInquest hearingOMB
27 September at 1pmGraham
Tyrell
743 May 2022Musgrove Park HospitalInquest hearingOMB
27 September at 3pmDavid
Buttle
5514 March 2022StreetInquest hearingOMB
28 September at 10amTerence
Davies
8811 May 2022Yeovil District HospitalInquest hearingOMB
28 September at 1.30pmGarry
Howe
587 March 2022FromeInquest hearingOMB
28 September at 3pmDenise
Cook
5922 March 2022WellingtonInquest hearingOMB
29 September at 10.30amMichael
Evans
26 minutes26 September 2019Musgrove Park HospitalInquest hearingOMB

 

What happens

During the Inquest hearing itself the Coroner will hear the evidence and, at the end of the Inquest, the Coroner will give their conclusion. All of the findings made by the Coroner are based on the evidence that they have heard and are on the basis of what is more likely to have happened than not – this is known as ‘on the balance of probabilities’.

This is the same standard of proof that is used in the civil courts, and so is lower than that used in criminal courts – where the Judge must be satisfied ‘beyond reasonable doubt’.

At the end of the Inquest the Coroner will complete the Record of Inquest – which is a publicly available document and contains answers to the four statutory questions.

In most cases the Coroner will sit alone but sometimes the Coroner will be required to sit with a jury.

Interested Person

There is a statutory list of who is considered to be an interested person, but generally speaking interested persons are

  • Family of the deceased
  • Anyone whose acts or omissions may have caused or contributed to the death

Interested persons are entitled to disclosure of the evidence to be heard at inquest and can attend the inquest and ask questions of the witnesses.

Remote attendance and Inquests in Writing

An Inquest and any related hearings (such as pre-inquest reviews, suspensions and adjournments) are held in open court, unless notification is given that the Inquest will be ‘in Writing’.

Interested Persons – Witnesses – Advocates
Interested persons, witnesses and advocates should attend the inquest and any related hearings in person – they should be present physically in Court.

If you are an ‘interested person’, witness or advocate and you wish to attend the hearing remotely then you must:

  • Email a written application to the Coroner:  coroner@somerset.gov.uk
  • The application must be made at the earliest possible opportunity, but no later than 10 clear working days before the listed hearing.
  • The application should clearly set out the reasons why you are unable to attend in person and why remote access should be given.

On receipt of an application within the time limits stated above, the Coroner will:

  • Seek the views of the interested persons and any advocates.
  • Deliver a ruling on the application.
  • If the application is granted and the matter is listed in a Court that has facilities for remote attendance, then the remote link will be made available to you by court staff.

The Coroner will be more likely to permit remote attendance where:

  • Remote attendance would improve the quality of the evidence given.
  • Remote attendance would allow the inquest to proceed more expediently.
  • Remote attendance is the only way to enable participation (that is, the applicant has emigrated and now lives abroad).
  • There is the capacity and technological capability to enable remote attendance at that particular hearing.
  • Allowing remote attendance would not create an unreasonable administrative burden.

In reaching a decision the coroner will also consider:

  • Whether remote attendance will impede the questioning of a witness.
  • The balance to be struck between the interests of justice and the interests of those attending the hearing.

No one has the right to observe a hearing remotely. Individuals are entitled to apply for permission and applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis and they may be refused.

Press and members of the public
From 28 June 2022 it became lawful for members of the public and the press to join hearings remotely. Should you wish to make an application then you must:

  • Make a written application to the Coroner – using this email address: coroner@somerset.gov.uk
  • The application must be made at the earliest possible opportunity, but no later than 10 clear working days before the listed hearing.
  • The application should clearly set out the reasons why you should be granted remote access.

General advice concerning remote access
Please note that there is currently only one Court room in Taunton that allows for the use of remote access. The Coroner also has potential access to a second Court room in Wells but this is only used for Jury cases and larger inquests by prior agreement. There is sufficient room in the Court to physically accommodate members of the public and press, within reason.

As such, we recommend that anyone wanting to attend an Inquest hearing does not rely on remote access being available.

Where remote access is permitted, a link to access the proceedings will be sent by email, along with a set of guidelines for conduct. Please familiarise yourself with these in advance.

Please note that it is a summary offence and contempt of court to record or transmit the proceedings and any images of any person attending the proceedings. If any person records or broadcasts all or any part of the proceedings they will be committing a criminal offence.

Jury Service

When a Coroner hears an Inquest, they will normally sit alone. However, in certain circumstances the Coroner may be required to sit with a Jury – this is made of between seven and eleven randomly selected members of the public who will act as the ‘judges of fact’ in the particular case. They will be under the legal direction of the Coroner and it will be they, rather than the Coroner, who reach and return the Conclusion at the end of the Inquest.

Potential jury members are screened for any matters within their personal circumstances which may compromise their ability to remain impartial and, if the Coroner believes that they may not be able to remain true to their oath to diligently enquire into the death of the deceased, the Coroner can choose to discharge a particular juror from the selection pool before the Inquest starts. It may also become necessary to discharge a juror part way through an Inquest, but this decision is not taken lightly.

An Inquest is not a trial – it is an inquisitorial process rather than an adversarial one. The purpose of any Inquest isn’t to determine any civil or criminal blame or liability, and so no one is on trial.

If you are called to be part of a jury – if you receive a Jury Summons
Once you have been selected, you will be notified in writing that you are required to attend the Court and sit as a juror. You will then be sent a set of instructions as to what you will need to do, along with a form that you must return to the Court. You can contact the Somerset Coroner’s office if you have any questions when you receive the instructions and the form.

Attending as a juror is not optional, it is a civil obligation that you are required to perform. Failing to return the completed form or to attend and serve on the jury is punishable by a fine of up to £1000.

If you are employed, you will need to let your employer know that you will not be able to attend work during the days on which you are sitting as a juror. You will need to make sure that your employer will pay you in your absence from work, as the Court will not pay you for completing your jury service. However, in cases where your employer is unwilling to pay you, you can make a claim for loss of earnings as a result of being absent from work. This arrangement also applies if you are self-employed. There are limits as to the amount that you can be paid and these are set out in law. For more information, you can look at the jury service page of the GOV.UK website.

As a serving juror then you will also be given a daily allowance to cover food and drink. In certain circumstances then you may also be able to claim travel expenses. Please visit the jury service page of GOV.UK for more about these expenses.

What happens if you want to delay your jury service
In exceptional circumstances (such as having a pre-booked holiday, which you will need to provide documentary evidence of) then the Coroner may allow you to postpone your jury service. You will not be allowed more than one postponement.

If you think that you are unable to carry out jury service for the dates that you have been called for and you wish to make an application to postpone it, then you should contact the Coroner’s Office as soon as possible, setting out your full reasons and sending in any proof of your reason for non-attendance on this occasion. Contact details are available on this website. They will also be sent out on the notification letter that you received.

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