Inquests

Marcus has experience in a broad range of inquest work on behalf of a variety of Interested Persons, including both bereaved families and state institutions. This includes representing clients at Article 2 and jury inquests with multiple lay and expert witnesses in cases involving deaths in hospital, care homes, psychiatric institutions and prisons. To date, he has been instructed in over 30 inquests and a number of these have also attracted media attention.

Selected Cases

  • Three day inquest into the death of a man who had called 999 following the onset of significant respiratory problems. The issues centred on the delay of the Ambulance Service to triage and allocate resources in line with their training, guidelines and practices.
  • One week inquest into the death of a 13-year old girl who had a history of a worsening cough and weight loss. Issues included whether she should have been reviewed at hospital earlier, the adequacy of her examination and the delay in taking her for treatment.
  • Three day inquest into the death of a baby who was born prematurely and suffered a perforation of an oesophageal pouch (having developed a trachea-oesophageal fistula) during the insertion of a NG tube.
  • Three day inquest into the death of a baby who was born prematurely and died from cardiac arrest shortly after birth. The principal issue was the cause of the cardiac arrest, which the Coroner concluded was a combination of her deterioration in respiratory condition and a reaction to muscle relaxant therapy administered prior to intubation.
  • Two day inquest into the death of a care home resident who suffered from epilepsy and vascular dementia. He was subject to a DOLS and was not allowed to leave unaccompanied, however, he was allowed to leave undetected by means of a fire door which was not alarmed nor under surveillance.
  • Two week jury inquest into the death of a man who suffered from Asperger’s Syndrome and Paranoid Schizophrenia who was detained under the MHA. He died in a fire which he started whilst he was on unescorted leave from a psychiatric hospital.
  • Two week jury inquest into the death of a woman who suffered from post-partum psychosis and intentionally took her own life via a ligature whilst detained in hospital under the MHA.
  • A four day jury inquest into the death of a woman who hanged herself whilst sectioned under the Mental Health Act, which involved Prevention of Future Death issues.
  • Two day inquest into the death of a 23 year old man who suffered from psychosis and hanged himself after becoming overwhelmed with voices in his head.
  • Two day inquest into the death of a man who had a history of drug and alcohol misuse and significant mental health difficulties. He attended hospital but was discharged with no follow up and was found that evening having hanged himself in nearby woodland.
  • Two week Article 2 jury inquest into the death of a man who was found hanged in his cell in prison having taken an excessive amount of anti-depressant medication and had traces of psychoactive substances in his system.
  • Inquest into the death of an elderly man who attempted a ‘U’-turn on a major road in Cornwall.
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