Need to see paperwork for an inquest 15 years ago

[389shell]

Hi all, this is possibly in the wrong place so feel free to move the thread.

 

Basically my friends dad was found at the bottom of some steps after a night out 15 years ago, he had no ID on him and his wallet was missing, he died a few days later.

 

His friends testified that he had just won quite a considerable amount of money at a casino and had his wages on him, but in the end the police said it was an accident and there was an inquest.

 

At the time she was quite young and because her parents had split up the police would not tell her mother anything, she only found out he was dead after an appeal in the local paper!

 

She would now like to read through all the paperwork and see where this leads, would the coroners court that originally dealt with it be the place to start?

 

Many thanks in advance for your help.

[BankFodder]

I'm not sure if you will get the info you need from us. In fact I would be interested to know the answer as well. I am sure that the information must be publicly available so I am expect that the coroner would be a good place to start - and if necessary start sending out FOI requests.

You might also try sending an FOI to the police asking for disclosure of all information relating to the death - and relating to any subsequent investigation and decision-making

[Ganymede]

I didn't think a FOI requests could be used for information on individuals?

[389shell]

I suppose that she could still ask the police though and they can maybe signpost her from there.

 

Thanks.

[honeybee13]

Hello there.

 

Do you know which coroner's court it was? This may be irrelevant to you, but when I was researching an ancestor, I found that the coroner had signed the death certificate. If you need a pointer, that might help you.

 

HB

[ScarletPimpernel]

I would contact the Coroner's Court Support Service.

 

Their FAQs say:

 

Is it possible to obtain a record of the inquest?

Once an inquest has been completed, a properly interested person may apply to inspect (without charge) the notes of evidence or any document put in evidence at the inquest, or a copy of any post-mortem examination report. Copies may be obtained following payment of a fee to the Coroner. The notes may be in the form of a transcript from a voice recording or the Coroner's own notes. The Coroner's manuscript notes may not be a full verbatim record.

 

A bereaved person is considered a properly interested person.

[BankFodder]

I didn't think a FOI requests could be used for information on individuals?

I think it that it is fair to say that you can't use FOI requests to obtain data which would be available by means of a Data Protection Act Subject Access Request.

 

However, it may be that because the person is dead – it may be available. On the other hand if an FOI request is not helpful then may be an SAR might be made by the estate. I would try and FOI request first.

 

I see also that there is an exemption against FOI requests in respect of information held by courts. I would still try making the request and see what happened. If I found the obstacles were being put in my way, I think that I would enlist the help of a local MP

[BazzaS]

Before talk of MP's, FOI's and SAR's : why not an informal approach to one of the Coroner's officers.

 

They are used to dealing with the bereaved (though usually when issues are more recent!), but even if it is 15 years later, it is still likely to be a "raw" subject.

 

An informal approach may give you just as much success but with a deal more support and assistance than a formal, "demanding" approach.

If it doesn't : you've still got the back-up of the formal route.

[BazzaS]

I would contact the Coroner's Court Support Service.

 

 

Does that URL redirect to Fentons solicitors for anyone else?

[2ltr16valve]

Does that URL redirect to Fentons solicitors for anyone else?

 

Yep lol

[maddiemay]

I requested information regarding an attack on my son many years after the incident. They did take a while to locate the file from the police archives but it is possible.

Is OP friend able to deal with what she reads, it's not pleasant

[ScarletPimpernel]

Does that URL redirect to Fentons solicitors for anyone else?

 

Interesting - it doesn't for me. The Coroner's Court Support Service can be easily Googled, though.

[honeybee13]

Is OP friend able to deal with what she reads, it's not pleasant

 

That's a very good point, maddiemay. The two I've read were written in the days when there were far fewer forensic tests so there wasn't huge detail, but it was enough for me.

[389shell]

Hi all, thank you very much. I will pass all the information on to my friend. With regards to the details that it may hold, I'm not sure, but will warn her that it could very possibly be horrific reading.

 

Once again thanks.