Inquest Hearings

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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.

Types of hearing

There are 3 types of inquest:

Jury Inquest – a complex case where a jury is required, together with witnesses, legal representation for Interested Persons
Inquest – is where witnesses are required to attend to present their evidence and have questions asked of them
Read Inquest – no witnesses are required to attend and the coroner will sit alone. The coroner reads aloud relevant selections of evidence. The inquest duration can be quite short and the coroner will hear a number of cases in succession.

You may be called to a Pre-Inquest Review. A Pre-Inquest Review – – is a hearing that can be attended by Interested persons. The Coroner will not require witnesses to attend, as the hearing does not consider any evidence.

A Pre-Inquest Review will usually be held if there are particular issues of law or procedure that need to be determined by the Coroner before the final inquest. And so a Pre-Inquest Review is very much a case management or administrative hearing.

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.

Inquest opening hearings listed for the week beginning 15 July 2024

Taunton = Old Municipal Buildings, Corporation Street, Taunton TA1 4AQ
Wells = Wells Town Hall, Market Square, Wells, BA5 2RB

See the Inquest opening hearings – week beginning 15 July 2024 table at full width

Date and time	Deceased	Date of death	Age	Place of death	Type of hearing	Held at
Date and time15 July at 9.30am	DeceasedAnthony Farthing	Date of death10 July 2024	Age94	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Type of hearingOpening	Held atTaunton
Date and time15 July at 9.30am	DeceasedAndrew Derbyshire	Date of death2 July 2024	Age35	Place of deathBrent Knoll	Type of hearingOpening	Held atTaunton
Date and time15 July at 9.30am	DeceasedBernard Ringrose	Date of death13 June 2024	Age78	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Type of hearingOpening	Held atTaunton

Inquests listed for final hearing July 2024

Taunton = Old Municipal Buildings, Corporation Street, Taunton TA1 4AQ
Wells = Wells Town Hall, Market Square, Wells, BA5 2RB

See the Inquests listed for final hearing – July 2024 table at full width

Date and time	Deceased	Date of death	Age	Place of death	Type of hearing	Held at
Date and time2 July at 9am	DeceasedMiroslaw Jarmolinksi	Date of death12 March 2024	Age62	Place of deathYeovil District Hospital	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time2 July at 9am	DeceasedSteven Brown	Date of death6 january 2024	Age36	Place of deathBridgwater	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time5 July at 10am	DeceasedLouis Dalmasso	Date of death20 August 2023	Age39	Place of deathYeovil	Type of hearingPre-Inquest Review	Held atWells
Date and time8 July at 10am	DeceasedMinnie West	Date of death17 February 2024	Age95	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time8 July at midday	DeceasedDeborah Prowse	Date of death26 November 2023	Age46	Place of deathFrome	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time8 July at 2pm	DeceasedJeffrey Howard	Date of death6 March 2024	Age72	Place of deathSt Margaret’s Hospice	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time8 July at 3pm	DeceasedChristopher Groves	Date of death3 March 2024	Age81	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time9 July at 10am	DeceasedChristopher Parker	Date of death2 March 2024	Age75	Place of deathWedmore	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time9 July at 11.30am	DeceasedLinda Barker	Date of death23 February 2024	Age66	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time9 July at 2pm	DeceasedHarrison Curtis	Date of death19 February 2024	Age24	Place of deathHighbridge	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time10 July at 10am	DeceasedCatherine Innes	Date of death18 January 2024	Age74	Place of deathBishops Lydeard	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time10 July at midday	DeceasedLuke Donaldson	Date of death28 February 2024	Age27	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time11 July at 10am	DeceasedWayne Frost	Date of death25 February 2024	Age39	Place of deathSouth Petherton	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time11 July at midday	DeceasedMatthew Evans	Date of death29 October 2023	Age50	Place of deathCheddar	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time11 July at 1pm	DeceasedLuke Winter	Date of death4 March 2024	Age42	Place of deathCreech St Michael	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time15 July at 10am	DeceasedMarcis Dumpfs	Date of death5 November 2023	Age41	Place of deathSouthmead Hospital	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time15 July at midday	DeceasedSamuel Bal	Date of death28 September 2023	Age25	Place of deathTaunton	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time15 July at 2pm	DeceasedSandra Silvera	Date of death22 May 2023	Age77	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time16 July at 10am	DeceasedSusan Phillips	Date of death11 January 2024	Age73	Place of deathYeovil District Hospital	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time16 July at midday	DeceasedDaniel Cockburn	Date of death2 March 2024	Age33	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time16 July at 2pm	DeceasedRoy Blackmore	Date of death11 March 2024	Age94	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time17 July at 10am	DeceasedAnita Holden	Date of death8 November 2023	Age85	Place of deathBridgwater Community Hospital	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time17 July at 11.30am	DeceasedJean Wall	Date of death11 November 2023	Age82	Place of deathYeovil District Hospital	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time17 July at 1.30pm	DeceasedNicholas Gubb	Date of death18 October 2023	Age77	Place of deathWellington	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time17 July at 2pm	DeceasedAmelia Morten-Scott	Date of death30 October 2023	Age34	Place of deathFrome	Type of hearingPre-Inquest Review	Held atWells
Date and time18 to 19 July at 10am	DeceasedDarren Gurman	Date of death16 September 2022	Age45	Place of deathFrome	Type of hearingJury Inquest	Held atWells
Date and time24 July at 10am	DeceasedNigel Morgan	Date of death22 November 2023	Age75	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time24 July at midday	DeceasedSamuel Jarvis	Date of death20 November 2023	Age30	Place of deathBridgwater	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time24 July at 2pm	DeceasedMichael Jones	Date of death2 March 2024	Age85	Place of deathTaunton	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time29 July at 10am	DeceasedBrian Lester	Date of death13 May 2023	Age72	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Type of hearingInquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time29 July at 3pm	DeceasedNicholas Parry	Date of death12 January 2024	Age72	Place of deathWilliton Community Hospital	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time30 July at 9.30am	DeceasedClifford Small	Date of death7 November 2023	Age98	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Type of hearingPre-Inquest Review	Held atTaunton
Date and time31 July at 10am	DeceasedRyan Thomas	Date of death3 September 2023	Age40	Place of deathBridgwater	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time31 July at midday	DeceasedJamie Hunt	Date of death14 November 2023	Age25	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time31 July at 2pm	DeceasedCornelius Walsh	Date of death13 January 2024	Age89	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Type of hearingRead Inquest	Held atTaunton

Inquests listed for final hearing August 2024

Taunton = Old Municipal Buildings, Corporation Street, Taunton TA1 4AQ
Wells = Wells Town Hall, Market Square, Wells, BA5 2RB

See the Inquests listed for final hearing – August 2024 table at full width

Date and time	Deceased	Date of death	Age	Place of death	Inquest type	Held at
Date and time1 August at 10am	DeceasedRebekah Hughes	Date of death18 September 2022	Age51	Place of deathStreet	Inquest typePre-Inquest review hearing	Held atTaunton
Date and time1 August at 1.30pm	DeceasedHarry Powell	Date of death28 September 2023	Age17	Place of deathWellington	Inquest typePre-Inquest review hearing	Held atTaunton
Date and time5 August at 10am	DeceasedAnne Etherton	Date of death25 January 2024	Age76	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time5 August at 12pm	DeceasedChristopher Duffy	Date of death20 January 2024	Age44	Place of deathBridgwater	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time5 August at 2pm	DeceasedGuy Potter	Date of death24 November 2023	Age32	Place of deathTaunton	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time6 August at 10am	DeceasedJamie Bambrough	Date of death28 January 2024	Age31	Place of deathChard	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time6 August at 10am	DeceasedJack Knowles	Date of death28 January 2024	Age30	Place of deathChard	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time6 August at 2pm	DeceasedCarolyn Goode	Date of death18 January 2024	Age76	Place of deathYeovil District Hospital	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time7 August at 10am	DeceasedJohn Macklin	Date of death24 January 2024	Age89	Place of deathYeovil District Hospital	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time7 August at 12pm	DeceasedRichard John Matthews	Date of death22 January 2024	Age74	Place of deathYeovil District Hospital	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time7 August at 2pm	DeceasedAmy Manning	Date of death17 January 2024	Age32	Place of deathYeovil	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time12 August at 10am	DeceasedCooper Gamblin-Wood	Date of death14 December 2022	Age2 days	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Inquest typePre-Inquest review hearing	Held atWells
Date and time12 August at 1pm	DeceasedKerrie Brown	Date of death28 June 2023	Age33	Place of deathYeovil	Inquest typePre-Inquest review hearing	Held atWells
Date and time13-14 August at 10am	DeceasedHannah Eke	Date of death17 March 2023	Age22	Place of deathStreet	Inquest typeInquest	Held atWells
Date and time13 August at 10am	DeceasedHelen Higgs	Date of death4 February 2024	Age72	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time13 August at 12pm	DeceasedPeter Nation	Date of death17 January 2024	Age59	Place of deathTaunton	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time13 August at 2pm	DeceasedDavid Moyies	Date of death25 September 2023	Age44	Place of deathMinehead	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time14 August at 10am	DeceasedMichael Perry	Date of death2 February 2024	Age84	Place of deathBurrowbridge	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time14 August at 12pm	DeceasedRaphael Bath	Date of death1 October 2023	Age45	Place of deathFrome	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time14 August at 2pm	DeceasedJohn Fuller	Date of death12 February 2024	Age84	Place of deathBishops Lydeard	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time15 August at 10am	DeceasedSheila Ginn	Date of death19 May 2022	Age69	Place of deathEast Quantoxhead	Inquest typePre-Inquest review hearing	Held atWells
Date and time15 August at 10am	DeceasedDaniel Short	Date of death14 August 2019	Age33	Place of deathBridgwater	Inquest typePre-Inquest review hearing	Held atTaunton
Date and time16 August at 10am	DeceasedWilliam Blackburn	Date of death16 May 2019	Age	Place of deathDubai	Inquest typePre-Inquest review hearing	Held atWells
Date and time16 August at 10am	DeceasedDavid Phillips	Date of death16 May 2019	Age	Place of deathDubai	Inquest typePre-Inquest review hearing	Held atWells
Date and time16 August at 10am	DeceasedChristopher Stone	Date of death16 May 2019	Age	Place of deathDubai	Inquest typePre-Inquest review hearing	Held atWells
Date and time19 August at 10am	DeceasedJohanna McNulty	Date of death23 January 2024	Age78	Place of deathCrewkerne Community Hospital	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time19 August at 12pm	DeceasedRichard Peate	Date of death8 January 2024	Age57	Place of deathTaunton	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time19 August at 2pm	DeceasedNeil Robson	Date of death 25 January 2024	Age55	Place of deathFrome	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time20 August at 9.15am	DeceasedAlim Madaminzhanova	Date of death7 June 2024	Age2 hours	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time20 August at 10am	DeceasedEdward Baker	Date of death15 May 2023	Age65	Place of deathSouthmead Hospital	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time20 August at 12pm	DeceasedPhilip Jones	Date of death2024	Age62	Place of deathWinscombe	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time20 August at 2pm	DeceasedStella-Mary Warren	Date of death9 February 2024	Age74	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time21 August at 10am	DeceasedGuy Shear	Date of death4 February 2024	Age72	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time21 August at 12pm	DeceasedEdward Pike	Date of death29 January 2024	Age88	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time27 August at 10am	DeceasedAlexander Speirs	Date of death3 April 2023	Age24	Place of deathStockland Bristol	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time27 August at 12pm	DeceasedSean Brownbill	Date of death6 July 2023	Age34	Place of deathNorton Fitzwarren	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time27 August at 2pm	DeceasedAnne Stringer	Date of death27 April 2023	Age81	Place of deathBridgwater Community Hospital	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time28 August at 10am	DeceasedSusan Davies	Date of death27 November 2023	Age67	Place of deathYeovil	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time28 August at 2pm	DeceasedKevin Rogers	Date of death5 November 2023	Age46	Place of deathYeovil	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time28 August at 2pm	DeceasedCarol Packer	Date of death16 July 2023	Age62	Place of deathChard	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time29 August at 10am	DeceasedBarbara Cluett	Date of death3 February 2024	Age86	Place of deathYeovil District Hospital	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time29 August at 12pm	DeceasedGordon Lister	Date of death6 February 2024	Age70	Place of deathMusgrove Park Hospital	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton
Date and time29 August at 2pm	DeceasedMatthew Gajic	Date of death22 January 2024	Age34	Place of deathWells	Inquest typeRead Inquest	Held atTaunton

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 Courtroom in Taunton that allows for the use of remote access. The Coroner also has potential access to a second Courtroom 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 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.

Downloads

Guidance on remote inquest hearing participation

PDF, 208 KB

Last reviewed: July 12, 2024 by Neil

Next review due: January 12, 2025