Richard Cole has spent much of the autumn representing the State in Article 2 inquests before juries and Senior Coroners in both Exeter and Newport.
In Exeter, Richard represented Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, the Governor of HMP Exeter Prison and his officers at an inquest into the death of an 18 year old prisoner on remand before the senior coroner, Mr Spinney. Richard was instructed by Ciaran McQuade of GLD. The family was represented by Harriet Short and the healthcare department by Kate Fawell-Comley. The jury returned a narrative conclusion.
In Newport, an inquest into the death of a Sudanese asylum seeker, Mustafa Dawood, following an enforcement visit by immigration officers, took place before a jury and the Senior Coroner, Caroline Saunders. Sadly, Mr Dawood fell through a warehouse roof and suffered unsurvivable injuries. Richard was instructed by Sophie Wilkinson-Hargate of GLD. The family was represented by Jamie Burton QC. The inquest received local and national coverage in the media. The jury returned a narrative conclusion.
Richard returns to Exeter in late November to represent HMP Exeter at another inquest before the Senior Coroner sitting alone.