Christopher Mellor

Inquests

Christopher is frequently instructed to represent NHS Trusts, healthcare professionals, families and other interested persons in complex inquests. He specialises in inquires arising from deaths where there has been medical involvement, including in mental health institutions and prisons.

Listen to Christopher discuss causation in inquests and R (Chidlow) v HM Senior Coroner for Blackpool and Fylde [2019] EWHC 581 (Admin) in episode 79 of our podcast Law Pod UK here.

Selected Cases

• Inquest into death of Prince Fosu: represented GP at inquest at five week jury inquest investigating death of man in a removal centre.
• Inquest into the death of Louise Harvey: young mother who died of a pulmonary embolism 16 days after plastic surgery.
• Inquest into the death of Terrence Smith: jury inquest, lasting approximately 4 months, into the death of a 33-year-old man who died following being detained and restrained by police; the medical cause of death included “Amphetamine-induced excited delirium in association with restraint”.
• Inquest into the death of Kingsley Burrell: 6 week jury inquest into the death of a man who was restrained by police.
• Inquest into the death of Caroline Ambrose: involved the death of a private voluntary inpatient at a mental health hospital who was permitted to leave the hospital alone despite instructions that she only be allowed escorted leave.
• Inquest into the death of Tallulah Wilson: 15 year old girl who had had an online life which included involvement with an internet site where users posted images of self-harm.
• Inquest into the death of Axel Peanberg-King: death of a baby following involvement of Harmoni out-of-hours service.
• Inquest into the death of Alina Sarag: school girl who died having contracted TB.
• Inquest into the death of Lucas Stachursky: phenytoin overdose.
• Inquest into the death of Naazish Farooq Khan: Junior Counsel for the Hospitals NHS Trust into death in hospital following alleged over administration of potassium. The matter had previously been subject to the judgment of the Court of Appeal on the issue of public funding for representation: see [2004] 1 WLR 971.